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Location matters! Geospatial dynamics of MP responses to Covid‐19 protests in multilevel systems

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  • Schürmann, Lennart
  • Schwalbach, Jan
  • Himmelrath, Noam

Abstract

In liberal democracies, protest can serve as a trigger for necessary policy reforms, but it can also be used by a loud minority to advance political goals against the will of the majority. Focusing on such vocal protests in the context of the Covid‐19 pandemic, we investigate the following question: How does the location of protest events affect the likelihood of political engagement with the protests in a multilevel system? Combining social movement literature with studies of issue attention and rhetorical responsiveness, we analyze how German members of parliaments’ (MPs) responses vary using their tweets from the onset of the pandemic to the German federal election in September 2021. Using quantitative text analysis, we measure rhetorical responsiveness to Covid‐19 protests and apply multilevel regression analyses and difference‐in‐differences. We find that more protests lead to more attention; however, MPs respond most strongly to protests within the state they represent. Furthermore, politicians’ level within the German multilevel system affects their attention to these protests, with MPs elected at lower levels of an electoral system responding more to local protest events than MPs elected at higher levels. The results highlight the importance of the location of protests in attracting political attention.

Suggested Citation

  • Schürmann, Lennart & Schwalbach, Jan & Himmelrath, Noam, 2025. "Location matters! Geospatial dynamics of MP responses to Covid‐19 protests in multilevel systems," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 64, pages 513-524.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:espost:310950
    DOI: 10.1111/1475-6765.12704
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    1. Stephan, Meret & Schürmann, Lennart, 2025. "How anti-racist protests influence pro- and anti-migration voting behavior: Evidence from national and European elections," Discussion Papers, Research Unit: Center for Civil Society Research ZZ 2025-601, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.

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