The consequences of technocracy on electoral participation

Abstract The enhanced involvement of technocratic personnel in European cabinets has contributed to fueling scholarly interest in this matter. However, while scholars have investigated the drivers of technocratic appointments and citizens’ preferences regarding competence and expertise in government, little is known about the consequences technocracy has on relevant components of political systems’ proper functioning. This article sheds light on this uncharted area by investigating the effect of technocratic presence in government on electoral participation. It does so by relying on an original time-series cross-section dataset in 20 Western European countries since 1945. This article unveils the effect of technocratic presence in government on aggregate electoral turnout, showing that technocratic presence in government significantly decreases participation. The article discusses the implications of these findings for the functioning of the political system and the quality of democracy.