The Politics of Personal Crisis: How Negative Life Events Affect Political Participation

Abstract

Economic risk and instability are urgent and central facts in the lives of increasing numbers of Americans. Though “personal” in nature, the causes of life disruptions like job loss, eviction, and loss of health insurance are deeply political. Nonetheless, existing scholarship does not offer a comprehensive picture of how disruptions to one’s personal life affect political behavior. We use recent data from several large surveys to assess the relationships between personal crises and voter turnout. Considering such crises both individually and cumulatively, we find that personal crises appear more likely to dampen participation than encourage it, and that this is especially true as the number of such crises grows. Our findings speak to the importance of considering life disruptions and crises in the study of political behavior, particularly in an era when Americans’ lives are especially precarious.

Keywords: personal crisis, negative life events, voter turnout, political participation, economic insecurity