Saturday, March 15, 2014
Capitol (Omni Shoreham)
A substantial group of scholars working on democratic theory predominantly highlight civic commitment and citizen loyalty to a political regime as the key drivers behind political participation outcomes. Inspired by Albert O. Hirschman’s classical “Exit, Voice and Loyalty”, these works argue that dissatisfied individuals, who are unable to move out of their national systems due to a strong sense of commitment, will be more willing to voice their concerns through exploiting participatory platforms (such as voting in elections) and thereby pressure target organizations for change. This paper tests the empirical boundaries of this “loyalty-voice” claim within a supranational context, using qualitative and quantitative data from the recent EUCROSS survey conducted across six European Union member states. Specifically, it examines whether a commitment to solidarity (loyalty) enhances the likelihood of participation in the national elections (voice) among citizens who simultaneously enjoy greater transnational mobility opportunities (exit). This debate offers three potential contributions. Empirically, the paper makes a first attempt to test Albert O. Hirschman’s framework within a supranational context based on fresh evidence from the EU. Conceptually, it offers an innovative outlook by considering civic solidarity as a manifestation of political loyalty, and assessing transnational mobility as an indicator of enabled exit opportunity. Finally, on the theoretical front, the paper proposes that exit, voice and loyalty are not mutually exclusive mechanisms in supranational democratic contexts.
