Mario Quaranta (European University Institute, Florence)

“Citizens’ political behaviour and attitudes in changing contexts”

Aula lignea

Abstract

Research has often underlined the importance of studying political behaviour and attitudes to capture the extent to which democracies are responsive to citizens’ preferences and needs, and thus the legitimacy of democratic regimes. Within this field, scholars have pointed at the role of contexts to explain cross-national and individual-level heterogeneities in political participation and public opinion. While the literature on the role of contexts in politics provides us with important insights, the political consequences of changing contexts and personal conditions are still underexplored. My recent research addresses this point analyzing how the dynamic environments in which citizens live might condition political choices and opinions, especially under varying individual characteristics. In my talk, I will discuss the importance of the context for citizens’ political behaviour and attitudes and future research venues for advancing the field. In particular, I will present a preliminary project on the asymmetric effects of contextual and individual changes on citizens’ attitudes towards democracy.

Mario Quaranta is is applying for the Assistant Professorship in Political Science.