Economic voting in Turkey: single- vs. multi-party governments

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study investigates the strength of economic voting in Turkey under various types of governments. A vote equation developed for this purpose, which takes into account all of the key factors mentioned in the economic voting literature, shows that voters hold coalition governments less responsible for their economic performance than single-party governments and minor partners of a coalition government less responsible than its major member. These gaps widen as political fragmentation of the government increases. In governments involving many parties and parties with significantly different ideologies, some of the junior coalition members benefit rather than suffer from a bad economy.