War increases public interest in politics, but how does the loss of human lives specifically influence electoral behavior? This research explores whether combat casualties heighten mortality salience, a psychological concept where reminders of death increase focus on worldview defense. We hypothesize that this heightened awareness strengthens political values like patriotism and ideology, making voting seem more important. Using cross-national data from 23 democracies over five decades plus survey data from the United States and United Kingdom during recent conflicts, we find mounting casualties correlate with increased voter turnout across established democracies.
Specifically:
* Mortality Salience: Casualties remind citizens of death, boosting focus on core political values.
* Voter Motivation: Heightened awareness makes defending one's national identity through participation more salient.
* Least Engaged Voters: The impact is most significant among those initially least interested in politics.
Our findings suggest that the human cost of war paradoxically strengthens democratic engagement, particularly affecting citizens who are typically disengaged from political processes.
| Death and Turnout: The Human Costs of War and Voter Participation in Democracies was authored by Michael Koch and Nicholson Stephen. It was published by Wiley in AJPS in 2016. |
