(Un-)Geliebte Profis? Politikerverdrossenheit und Politikerprofessionalität. Daten von der lokalen Ebene

Abstract

Little is known about the relation between political professionalism and citizens’ political contentment. Are citizens more critical when politicians are more professional? Or does criticism of the citizens disappear when the political elite becomes more professional? Data from six municipalities in Germany indicate that professionalism of local politicians hardly influences citizens’ satisfaction with this elite. Furthermore, it can be shown that the relation between contentment with politicians and socio-demographic factors is rather minimal, whereas there is a clear relation between contentment with politicians and the perception of politicians’ accomplishments.