Does political polarisation undermine democratic accountability? Evidence from 28 European democracies

Patkós, Veronika and Plesz, Bendegúz (2025) Does political polarisation undermine democratic accountability? Evidence from 28 European democracies. WEST EUROPEAN POLITICS. pp. 1-33. ISSN 0140-2382

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Abstract

Political polarisation has drawn significant attention recently due to its potential adverse impacts. Evidence suggests that various forms of socio-political polarisation are associated with weaker democratic and economic performance. This research investigates the relationship between two types of political polarisation and macro-level accountability – that is, citizens’ ability and opportunity to select, monitor, and control their governments. Using data from the European Social Survey, World Bank, and V-Dem databases, the study analyses 202 observations from 28 European countries over twenty years. The findings indicate a negative correlation between polarisation and democratic accountability. Specifically, countries with higher levels of polarisation exhibit weaker accountability, and as a country becomes more polarised, its democratic accountability further declines. The relationship is robust across alternative operationalisations of polarisation and different model specifications. This research underscores the detrimental effects of polarisation on democratic functioning and calls for more in-depth studies to better understand this relationship.

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