Unemployment and Political Apathy: Evidence from a Panel Survey in Spain, 2010 – 2012

This paper addresses the question of the causal effect of unemployment on political involvement. Using a longitudinal research design, it overcomes the limitations of previous analyses and estimates the effect of job loss and long-term unemployment on the intra-individual change in political involvement. Results indicate how interest in politics and political participation decrease after some time unemployed. The paper also investigates the causal effects that might mediate this relationship: loss of resources, and psychological effects of unemployment. Data come from a panel survey conducted in Spain spanning from 2010 to 2014 (Co-author Carolina Galais Université de Montreal)