Journal of Electoral Studies

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Home Issues Backissues Volume 31, No.1 Ideological Congruence, Perceived Accountability, and Satisfaction with Democracy

Ideological Congruence, Perceived Accountability, and Satisfaction with Democracy

Chia-hung Tsai and Alexander Tan
2022 / 11
Volume 29, No.2

pp.1-34
10.6612/tjes.202211_29(2).0001
Paper

Appendix

Abstract

A growing body of cross-national studies has examined the ideological congruence between citizens and political parties and found that those citizens whose is ideology close to the winning party tend to be satisfied with democracy in their country. We extend the causal story of ideological congruence and satisfaction with democracy to Australia and New Zealand. As we estimate the effects of various socio-psychological factors on citizen satisfaction, we highlight the effect of perceived accountability and ideological congruence. We find that both factors contribute to satisfaction with democracy in New Zealand and Australia. Our empirical evidence not only confirms the extant literature but also suggests that perceived accountability has a larger influence in both democracies that use different election systems. This result has to do with the possibility that majoritarianism and proportional representation may produce coalition governments that locate ideology at the median voter. Therefore, democratic satisfaction primarily depends on if the government being controlled by its citizens.

Keywords

ideological congruence

perceived accountability

satisfaction with democracy

majoritarian

proportional system