Referendums on European Integration. <br>
Do Institutions Matter in
the Voter's Decision?
Referendums on European Integration.
Do Institutions Matter in
the Voter's Decision?
Comparative Political Studies 2000 33(1) 3-36.
Abstract
Referendums have received increasing attention after the recent round of
votes on the Maastricht treaty and the widening process of the European
Union. Despite this increased interest in these instruments of
decision-making, scholarship has not provided us with insights into the
relationship between the institutional characteristics and voter's
decision. We provide a theoretical argument on how the voter's choice is
affected by the nature of the referendum. Relevant factors are whether
the referendum is required, whether the people's decision has a binding
character, or which government coalition is presently in power. These
institutional features mediate the impact of political factors, above
all partisanship, on voting behavior. We test our theoretical arguments
based on empirical material from all referendums on European integration
and find consistent support for our theoretical contentions.
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