1. The Impact of Reforms on Empirical
Legitimacy – More Elites or More
Participation?
IPSA Panel
“Investigation into the Relation between Political Trust
and Political Engagement”
Kavita Heijstek–Ziemann (kziemann@fsw.leidenuniv.nl),
Institute of Political Science, Leiden University.
Universiteit Leiden
The Netherlands
Leiden University. The university to discover.

2. The Impact of Reforms on Empirical Legitimacy – More Elites or More
Participation?
Introduction
Table of Contents 1 | 11
What?
Why?
Hypotheses
How?
Results
Conclusion
Leiden University. The university to discover.

3. The Impact of Reforms on Empirical Legitimacy – More Elites or More
Participation?
What?
Model 2 | 11
empirical legitimacy
Satisfaction
with Democracy
Democratic
Reforms
Trust in
Parliament &
Government
Leiden University. The university to discover.

4. The Impact of Reforms on Empirical Legitimacy – More Elites or More
Participation?
Why?
Linkage 3 | 11
Linkage mechanisms between
citizens and the state have changed
• Turnout
• Membership
• Identification
Leiden University. The university to discover.

5. The Impact of Reforms on Empirical Legitimacy – More Elites or More
Participation?
Why?
Participation 4 | 11
• New forms of participation are gaining ground
• Linkage is effective if possibilities of communication &
mechanisms of influence are available
Leiden University. The university to discover.

6. The Impact of Reforms on Empirical Legitimacy – More Elites or More
Participation?
Why?
Experts 5 | 11
• New forms of non-majoritarian delegation gaining ground
• Linkage is effective if governing is seen as a management
problem and common interest is served.
Leiden University. The university to discover.

7. The Impact of Reforms on Empirical Legitimacy – More Elites or More
Participation?
Hypotheses
Hypotheses 6 | 11
Hypothesis 1: Direct participation and/or expert delegation
increases satisfaction with democracy
Hypothesis 2: Direct participation and/or expert delegation
will decrease trust in representative institutions
Hypothesis 3: Strengthening the functioning of core
representative institutions will increase trust in
representative institutions
Leiden University. The university to discover.

8. The Impact of Reforms on Empirical Legitimacy – More Elites or More
Participation?
How?
Data and Method 7 | 11
• Dataset of reforms 1990 – 2008
• Time-series cross-sectional analysis
Leiden University. The university to discover.

9. The Impact of Reforms on Empirical Legitimacy – More Elites or More
Participation?
How?
Variables 8 | 11
Participatory Non-Majoritarian Representation
• Electoral Reform • Regulatory • Parliamentary
• Decentralization Institutions Reform
• Directly Elected • Extension of • Party Subsidy
Executive Powers to EU
• Freedom of • New Courts
Information
• New Public
Management
Reforms
• New Referendum
Laws
Leiden University. The university to discover.

10. The Impact of Reforms on Empirical Legitimacy – More Elites or More
Participation?
Results
Results 9 | 11
Negative Result Positive Result
• Electoral Reform • Decentralization
• New Public Managment • New Courts
• Referendum
• Direct Election
Executive
• Regulatory Institutions
• EU
• Party Subsidy
Leiden University. The university to discover.

11. The Impact of Reforms on Empirical Legitimacy – More Elites or More
Participation?
Conclusion
More Expert or More Participation? 10 | 11
• More Decentralization - Size Matters
• More Courts - Advocacy Democracy
• Often failing attempts to strengthen the relationship
between citizens and the state
Leiden University. The university to discover.

12. The Impact of Reforms on Empirical Legitimacy – More Elites or More
Participation?
Conclusion
Questions? 11 | 11
?
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