Title: \u201d Why Election Boycotts May Not Be A Bad Idea ?\u201d (with Jesper Bjarnesen and Gudlaug Olafsdottir)<\/p>\n
Date and Time: March 30, 12:30
\nVenue: A-130 Seminar Room, FEASS<\/p>\n
Speaker: Sebastian van Baalen, Uppsala University<\/p>\n
Abstract:<\/p>\n
Do election boycotts work? Conventional wisdom holds that election boycotts are \u201ca bad idea\u201d that involve opposition parties forfeiting a chance to win power without imposing any costs on the incumbent. Using a comprehensive global dataset on all election boycotts in 1945\u20132024, we demonstrate that far from all boycotts are costly, as opposition parties boycott elections in which they stand little to gain. Moreover, examining the global record of boycotts, we challenge the claim that boycotts \u201cdon\u2019t work\u201d and show that the share of boycotts winning some concessions is far higher than often asserted. Testing insights from research on civil resistance and electoral authoritarianism through case studies of three successful election boycotts, we show how boycotts can force concessions by undermining the regime\u2019s legitimacy, weakening its repressive capacity, and inspiring resistance. In doing so, the study contributes new knowledge on a popular yet misunderstood opposition strategy under electoral authoritarianism.<\/p>\n
Biograpy:<\/p>\n
Sebastian van Baalen is Associate Professor at the Department of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University in Sweden. His research focuses on civilian agency and resistance in contexts characterized by violence and authoritarianism. He is currently leading a three-year research project on the consequences of election boycotts. Sebastian\u2019s research has been published in a range of high-ranking academic journals, including American Political Science Review, Comparative Political Studies, Journal of Peace Research, Political Geography, and World Development. He has a background as a freelance journalist, and still considers writing the most exciting of his daily tasks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Title: \u201d Why Election Boycotts May Not Be A Bad Idea ?\u201d (with Jesper Bjarnesen and Gudlaug Olafsdottir) Date and Time: March 30, 12:30 Venue: A-130 Seminar Room, FEASS Speaker: Sebastian van Baalen, Uppsala University Abstract: Do election boycotts work? Conventional wisdom holds that election boycotts are \u201ca bad idea\u201d [\u2026] <\/p>\n