Leiden University Student Repository

Stiekema, Matthijs (2024)

Issue saliency and the welfare state: How issue saliency influences the effect welfare state retrenchment has on electoral outcomes

Master thesis | Public Administration (MSc)

This study analyses the role of issue saliency in the relationship between the retrenchment of the welfare state and the electoral outcomes of government parties in the next election. The role of issue saliency is tested by a statistical analysis across 25 European countries between 2001-2021. Three welfare state indicators, healthcare, pensions and unemployment, are used to see if their effect on electoral outcomes changes when they are more or less salient. The analysis shows a correlation between issue saliency and a positive effect of retrenchment on electoral outcome. Situations of budget constraints can explain the positive effects of electoral outcomes on electoral outcomes. We conclude that issue saliency is an accelerator for the effect the welfare state has on electoral results. Furthermore, we can conclude that budget constraints are an explanatory factor in why retrenchment measures positively affect electoral outcomes.

Issue saliency, welfare state, elctoral ourcomes, retrenchment

Author

Stiekema, Matthijs

Faculty

Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs

Specialisation

Economics & governance

Supervisors

Alves Fernandes, D.

ECTS Credits

20

Evaluation

Recommended

Language

en