The Dynamics of Opinion Formation in Local Popular Referendums: Why the Dutch Always Say No

There is growing research on voting behavior in referendums. However, the dynamics of opinion formation in popular referendums, referendums initiated by the electorate to approve or reject decisions made by representative bodies, has not yet been studied. This is especially unfortunate as voting decisions in popular referendums differ from those in other referendums in interesting ways. Opinion formation can be a very dynamic process in popular referendums, making the referendum campaign crucial. This paper studies the dynamics of opinion formation in popular referendums and relates them to pa... Mehr ...