Determinants of Electoral Preferences: Poland in 1997–2015 Cover Image

Determinanty preferencji wyborczych: Polska w latach 1997–2015
Determinants of Electoral Preferences: Poland in 1997–2015

Author(s): Marta Żerkowska-Balas, Igor Lyubashenko, Agnieszka Kwiatkowska
Subject(s): Social Sciences, Sociology, Sociology of Politics
Published by: Instytut Filozofii i Socjologii Polskiej Akademii Nauk
Keywords: electoral preferences; social status; issue voting; Poland

Summary/Abstract: This article contains an analysis of the factors determining electoral decisions in post-communist Poland. The primary objective is to answer the question of whether the set of determinants motivating citizens to vote for a certain political party has remained constant or has changed over time. The analysis was based on data collected by the Polish General Electoral Study in 1997, 2005, and 2015 (these dates were chosen as important moments in terms of the functioning of Polish democracy). The analysis leads to the conclusion that—contrary to expectations based on current knowledge about the determinants of electoral preferences—variables describing the social status of citizens continue to be the best predictors of their propensity to vote for particular political parties. Although ideological-cultural and economic factors may be helpful in clarifying the electorate’s behavior, their explanatory power is comparatively much less.

  • Issue Year: 223/2016
  • Issue No: 4
  • Page Range: 69-96
  • Page Count: 28
  • Language: Polish