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The association between childlessness and voting turnout in 38 countries

Author

Listed:
  • Ryouhei Mogi

    (Universitat Pompeu Fabra)

  • Bruno Arpino

    (Università degli Studi di Firenze)

Abstract

Objective: This descriptive study aims to analyse the association between childlessness and voting turnout. Methods: We used the first nine rounds of the European Social Survey and logistic regression models to estimate the association between childlessness and having voted in the last national elections using data from 38 countries. Results: Our results show that childlessness is negatively associated with voting turnout in general. The association is stronger among individuals who are in the late reproductive lifespan (ages 35 to 39, 40 to 44, and 45 to 49), males, and those with lower education. The analyses show also considerable heterogeneity across countries but without a clear pattern. Contribution: This descriptive study offers evidence to stimulate more theoretical and empirical research on the relationship between childlessness and voting turnout, which is crucial to better understanding the role of demography in the functioning of democracy.

Suggested Citation

  • Ryouhei Mogi & Bruno Arpino, 2022. "The association between childlessness and voting turnout in 38 countries," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 47(14), pages 397-414.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:47:y:2022:i:14
    DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2022.47.14
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Eva Beaujouan & Zuzanna Brzozowska & Kryštof Zeman, 2016. "The limited effect of increasing educational attainment on childlessness trends in twentieth-century Europe, women born 1916–65," Population Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 70(3), pages 275-291, September.
    2. Valentina Tocchioni, 2018. "Exploring the childless universe: Profiles of women and men without children in Italy," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 38(19), pages 451-470.
    3. Tom S. Vogl & Jeremy Freese, 2020. "Differential fertility makes society more conservative on family values," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 117(14), pages 7696-7701, April.
    4. Ryohei Mogi & Michael Dominic del Mundo, 2020. "Decomposing changes in first birth trends: Quantum, timing, or variance," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 18(1), pages 167-184.
    5. Udi Sommer, 2018. "Women, Demography, and Politics: How Lower Fertility Rates Lead to Democracy," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 55(2), pages 559-586, April.
    6. Michael S. Teitelbaum, 2015. "Political demography: Powerful trends under-attended by demographic science," Population Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 69(sup1), pages 87-95, April.
    7. Steven W. Webster & Andrew W. Pierce, 2019. "Older, Younger, or More Similar? The Use of Age as a Voting Heuristic," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 100(3), pages 635-652, May.
    8. Vogl, Tom S & Freese, Jeremy, 2020. "Differential fertility makes society more conservative on family values," University of California at San Diego, Economics Working Paper Series qt9wc3k4nm, Department of Economics, UC San Diego.
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    Cited by:

    1. Arpino Bruno & Mogi Ryohei, 2024. "Is Intending to Have Children Rightist? A Research Note on Political Ideology and Fertility Intentions," Statistics, Politics and Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 15(2), pages 117-136.
    2. Bruno Arpino & Alessandro Di Nallo, 2022. "Sleeping with the enemy. Partners’ political attitudes and risk of separation," Econometrics Working Papers Archive 2022_06, Universita' degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Statistica, Informatica, Applicazioni "G. Parenti".

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    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

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