2020/07/09 by Bram Wauters, Anna Kern · 3 citations
Social Sciences · #Appeal #Business #Computer science #Economics #Electoral Systems and Political Participation #Internet privacy #Law #Political economy #Political science #Politics #Public relations #Selection (genetic algorithm) #Social Media and Politics #Trustworthiness
paper · open access · doi:10.1177/0032321720932064
published in Political Studies 69(4), 881-899 (SAGE Publishing)
openalex publication_date 2020/07/09 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
In the last few decades, political parties in several Western countries have opened up the process of leadership selection to all party members. So far, research has mainly focused on the drivers of this development, taking into account both internal factors (reducing power of middle-level party elites) and external factors (increasing the party’s attractiveness). Only few studies have tested the effects of these external arguments. In this study, we investigate whether parties that select their leader inclusively (1) exhibit higher levels of trustworthiness, and are more appealing to (2) voters and (3) potential members. Based on the procedural fairness argument, we expect a positive effect of inclusive procedures. We conduct a vignette experiment with fictional parties and find that inclusive selection procedures do not strengthen citizens’ perceptions of trustworthiness. Moreover, citizens are not more willing to vote or join parties with inclusive selection procedures.