Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

acceptedVersion

Publication Date

10-2015

Abstract

Economic crisis and the resulting need for austerity budgets have divided many governing parties and coalitions in Europe despite strong party discipline in the legislative voting on these harsh budgets. We measure these divisions using automated text analysis methods to scale the positions that legislators express in budget debates in an effort to avoid punishment by voters for supporting austerity measures while still adhering to strict party discipline by voting along party lines. Our test case is Ireland, a country that has experienced periods of rapid economic growth as well as one deep financial and economic crisis. Tracking dissent from 1987 to 2013, we show that austerity measures undermine government cohesion as verbal opposition markedly increases in direct response to the economic pain felt in a legislator’s constituency. The economic vulnerability of a legislator’s constituency also directly explains position taking on austerity budgets among both government and opposition.

Discipline

Political Science | Social Influence and Political Communication

Research Areas

Political Science

Publication

Journal of Politics

Volume

77

Issue

4

First Page

1157

Last Page

1175

ISSN

0022-3816

Identifier

10.1086/682670

Publisher

The University of Chicago Press

Copyright Owner and License

Authors

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1086/682670

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