Economics, Votes, Protests

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Abstract
In Western European studies, general investigations of mass political participation are an established tradition. However, these efforts have not drawn from the vigorous current of research on economics and politics. Specifically for Western Europe, there exists no systematic work on economic conditions and political participation (conventional or unconventional). Here we integrate these economic arguments into general explanations of both participation modes. First voting turnout is examined, then protest activity, both as measured in recent survey data from Britain, France, Germany, and Italy. The findings uncover support for a general model of political participation within these nations, as well as pointing to provocative between-nation differences. The economic results are especially stimulating. Pocketbook effects are absent, but collective evaluations of economic performance make an impact, and do so in intriguing ways. First, it is prospective, not retrospective, evaluations that count. Second, they operate asymmetrically, with the prospect of good times heightening turnout, and the prospect of bad times heightening protest. Such findings suggest noteworthy revisions regarding the theory of economics and participation.