(In)Congruence: A Study of Opinion-Policy Distance in 33 Democracies  Cover Image

(In)Congruence: A Study of Opinion-Policy Distance in 33 Democracies
(In)Congruence: A Study of Opinion-Policy Distance in 33 Democracies

Author(s): Nicolae Bîea
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences
Published by: Central European University (CEU) - Center for Policy Studies
Keywords: median citizen; opinion-policy congruence; public preferences; QCA

Summary/Abstract: This article seeks to answer two questions. First, is government policy in contemporary democracies congruent with public opinion? Second, what are the factors that determine opinion-policy congruence? The opinion-policy incongruence is conceptualized as the distance between actual government policy and the policy preferred by the median citizen. This article uses international survey data that assessed citizens’ preferences regarding government spending in 33 countries. The results suggest that opinion-policy congruence is more often absent than present in contemporary democracies with significant variation between countries. This variation is explored using fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA). I identify two causal paths leading to the opinion-policy congruence: richness and relatively equal distribution of income or richness, decentralization, and usage of non-proportional electoral system.

  • Issue Year: 2012
  • Issue No: 03
  • Page Range: 290-324
  • Page Count: 35
  • Language: English