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Fear to Vote: Explosions, Salience, and Elections

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  • Vargas, Juan F.
  • Purroy, Miguel E.
  • Coy, Felipe
  • Perilla, Sergio
  • Prem, Mounu

Abstract

We study how antipersonnel landmines thwart the consolidation of post-conflict democracy. We do so by exploiting the randomness in the timing of landmine explosions relative to election days, comparing the electoral outcomes of voting polls located close to a pre-election explosion with those near a post-election blast. We show that landmine explosions are salient stimuli that produce fear, reducing political participation. While the turnout reduction persists over time and takes place across the ideological spectrum, explosions induce shifts in the voting patterns of individuals who do vote, which are consistent with emotional drivers and hurt specific political parties.

Suggested Citation

  • Vargas, Juan F. & Purroy, Miguel E. & Coy, Felipe & Perilla, Sergio & Prem, Mounu, 2022. "Fear to Vote: Explosions, Salience, and Elections," SocArXiv dw9vn_v1, Center for Open Science.
    • Handle: RePEc:osf:socarx:dw9vn_v1
    DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/dw9vn_v1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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