External Sources of Instability: How Does Globalisation Affect Electoral Volatility?

The aim of this project is to use quantitative methods to understand how globalisation theory can be applied to electoral politics to explain recent trends of instability and dealignment. By using measures of electoral volatility and instability as dependent variables, this research project will test empirically the validity of two competing theories of globalisation's impact on the autonomy of the state - one which posits that globalisation necessarily entails a loss of political autonomy on behalf of policymakers and another which takes the view that the processes of globalisation do not necessitate the removal of political agency from policymakers. The results of this study should contribute to a greater understanding of the ways in which economic globalisation affects electoral behaviour and the extent to which economic globalisation and quality representative democracy are compatible.