How Democracy Observes Itself in Surveys – and What Follows

Abstract

High frequency omnipresence: Political approval is now surveyed and presented in the media almost daily. In an era of declining party loyalty
and increasing party fragmentation, such surveys exert growing influence on electoral decisions themselves. Democratic feedback loops are shortening, and patterns of approval and disapproval are becoming more volatile. This presentation introduces a research project that investigates these dynamics using long-term time series of “Sunday questions” across more than 20 democracies. It focuses particularly on how ideas of democratic legitimacy and the temporal rhythm of democracy are gradually evolving.

Vortrag im Rahmen der Reihe Digitalisierung und Gesellschaft III