Story incentive: the effect of national stories on voter turnout

Shaul R. Shenhav; Tamir Sheafer; Alon Zoizner; Anita van Hoof; Jan Kleinnijenhuis; Yael Kaplan; David Nicolas Hopmann

doi:10.1017/S1755773920000399

Story incentive: the effect of national stories on voter turnout

Shaul R. Shenhav^*, Tamir Sheafer, Alon Zoizner, Anita van Hoof, Jan Kleinnijenhuis, Yael Kaplan, David Nicolas Hopmann

^*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

This article contends that an important driver of turnout is the national stories embraced by citizens. We suggest the notion of ‘story incentive,’ whereby adopting a group’s story components – those that connect the past, the future, and prominent national characters – motivates individuals to participate in that group’s political activities. Leaning on narrative theories and studies on voter turnout, we develop and test hypotheses regarding the effect of story components on the likelihood of voting. Our measurements of story incentives are based on election surveys and encompass Denmark, Israel, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US. The results support the main story-incentive hypothesis. We discuss the theoretical ramifications of the connection between adherence to national stories and voter turnout.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	249-264
Number of pages	16
Journal	European Political Science Review
Volume	13
Issue number	2
Early online date	18 Dec 2020
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S1755773920000399
Publication status	Published - May 2021

Keywords

narrative theory
national stories
voting behavior
turnout

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1017/S1755773920000399

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title = "Story incentive: the effect of national stories on voter turnout",

abstract = "This article contends that an important driver of turnout is the national stories embraced by citizens. We suggest the notion of {\textquoteleft}story incentive,{\textquoteright} whereby adopting a group{\textquoteright}s story components – those that connect the past, the future, and prominent national characters – motivates individuals to participate in that group{\textquoteright}s political activities. Leaning on narrative theories and studies on voter turnout, we develop and test hypotheses regarding the effect of story components on the likelihood of voting. Our measurements of story incentives are based on election surveys and encompass Denmark, Israel, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US. The results support the main story-incentive hypothesis. We discuss the theoretical ramifications of the connection between adherence to national stories and voter turnout.",

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AU - Shenhav, Shaul R.

AU - Sheafer, Tamir

AU - Zoizner, Alon

AU - van Hoof, Anita

AU - Kleinnijenhuis, Jan

AU - Kaplan, Yael

AU - Hopmann, David Nicolas

PY - 2021/5

Y1 - 2021/5

N2 - This article contends that an important driver of turnout is the national stories embraced by citizens. We suggest the notion of ‘story incentive,’ whereby adopting a group’s story components – those that connect the past, the future, and prominent national characters – motivates individuals to participate in that group’s political activities. Leaning on narrative theories and studies on voter turnout, we develop and test hypotheses regarding the effect of story components on the likelihood of voting. Our measurements of story incentives are based on election surveys and encompass Denmark, Israel, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US. The results support the main story-incentive hypothesis. We discuss the theoretical ramifications of the connection between adherence to national stories and voter turnout.

AB - This article contends that an important driver of turnout is the national stories embraced by citizens. We suggest the notion of ‘story incentive,’ whereby adopting a group’s story components – those that connect the past, the future, and prominent national characters – motivates individuals to participate in that group’s political activities. Leaning on narrative theories and studies on voter turnout, we develop and test hypotheses regarding the effect of story components on the likelihood of voting. Our measurements of story incentives are based on election surveys and encompass Denmark, Israel, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US. The results support the main story-incentive hypothesis. We discuss the theoretical ramifications of the connection between adherence to national stories and voter turnout.

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KW - voting behavior

KW - turnout

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DO - 10.1017/S1755773920000399

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SP - 249

EP - 264

JO - European Political Science Review

JF - European Political Science Review

IS - 2

ER -

Story incentive: the effect of national stories on voter turnout

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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