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Organized Labor and Electoral Participation in American National Elections

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  • BENJAMIN RADCLIFF

Abstract

I consider the role of unions in fostering electoral participation in the U.S. Using aggregate and individual data, I argue that turnout varies directly with the organizational strength of unions, not only through their ability to mobilize their own members per se, but also, and more importantly, through their ability to affect the rate of participation of voters in general. My results imply that unionization helps explain much of the post-1960 decline in voter turnout. The magnitude of the relationship is demonstrated to rival that of more conventional determinants of voter turnout such as education.

Suggested Citation

  • Benjamin Radcliff, 2001. "Organized Labor and Electoral Participation in American National Elections," Journal of Labor Research, Transaction Publishers, vol. 22(2), pages 405-414, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:tra:jlabre:v:22:y:2001:i:2:p:405-414
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Richard B. Freeman, 2003. "What Do Unions Do ... to Voting?," NBER Working Papers 9992, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Roland Zullo, 2008. "Union Membership and Political Inclusion," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 62(1), pages 22-38, October.
    3. Dr Alex Bryson, 2014. "What Accounts for the Union Member Advantage in Voter Turnout? Evidence from the European Union, 2002-2008," National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) Discussion Papers 428, National Institute of Economic and Social Research.
    4. Richard Cebula & Franklin Mixon, 2012. "Dodging the vote?," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 42(1), pages 325-343, February.
    5. Shaun Wilson & Benjamin Spies‐Butcher, 2011. "When Labour Makes a Difference: Union Mobilization and the 2007 Federal Election in Australia," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 49(Supplemen), pages 306-331, July.
    6. John Godard, 2007. "Is Good Work Good for Democracy? Work, Change at Work and Political Participation in Canada and England," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 45(4), pages 760-790, December.
    7. Richard N. Block & Sheldon Friedman & Michelle Kaminski & Andy Levin (ed.), 2006. "Justice on the Job: Perspectives on the Erosion of Collective Bargaining in the United States," Books from Upjohn Press, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, number joj.
    8. Li, Weihao & Lamare, J. Ryan & Bruno, Robert, 2022. "Does union canvassing affect voter turnout under conditions of political constraint? Empirical evidence from Illinois," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 125306, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    9. Amrita Dillon & GANI ALDASHEV, 2015. "Voter Turnout and Political Rents," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 17(4), pages 528-552, August.
    10. Kevin Denny & Orla Doyle, 2009. "Does Voting History Matter? Analysing Persistence in Turnout," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 53(1), pages 17-35, January.
    11. Jake Rosenfeld, 2010. "Economic Determinants of Voting in an Era of Union Decline," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 91(2), pages 379-395, June.
    12. Dr Alex Bryson, 2014. "What Accounts for the Union Member Advantage in Voter Turnout? Evidence from the European Union, 2002-2008," National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) Discussion Papers 428, National Institute of Economic and Social Research.
    13. Sinisa Hadziabdic & Lucio Baccaro, 2020. "A Switch or a Process? Disentangling the Effects of Union Membership on Political Attitudes in Switzerland and the UK," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(3), pages 466-499, July.
    14. repec:ucn:wpaper:10197/167 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. J. Ryan Lamare, 2016. "Labor Unions and Political Mobilization: Diminishing Returns of Repetitious Contact," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(2), pages 346-374, April.

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