The Role of Efficacy, Optimism, and Political Networks in Legislative Elections: The Case of United Arab Emirates

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10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The purpose of the present study on political participation in United Arab Emirates is to examine the factors that motivated people to cast their vote in the legislative elections of 2011. To this end, a special questionnaire was administered to a sample of 1,800 citizens and univariate and multivariate methods were used to analyze their responses. Findings reveal that three factors motivated people to cast their vote, namely 1) their political efficacy about the legislative body, 2) their optimism about the prospects of a newly elected legislature to improve their daily lives and to aid the government's effort to enhance public services, and 3) having political networks. The study recommends further research to find out factors behind the dwindling level of electoral participation in spite of a high level of political optimism and efficacy.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)409-428
Number of pages20
JournalDomes : digest of Middle East studies
Volume25
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 1 2016

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cultural Studies
  • History
  • Religious studies
  • Sociology and Political Science
  • Political Science and International Relations
  • Law

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