Antidiscrimination laws, policy knowledge and political support

DOI:	https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007123417000163
URL:	https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-jo...
Additional URL:	https://www.ssoar.info/ssoar/handle/document/66110
Document Type:	Article
Year of publication:	2019
The title of a journal, publication series:	British Journal of Political Science
Volume:	49
Issue number:	3
Page range:	1027-1044
Place of publication:	Cambridge
Publishing house:	Cambridge Univ. Pr.
ISSN:	0007-1234 , 1469-2112
Publication language:	English
Institution:	School of Social Sciences > Soziologie mit Schwerpunkt Migration u. Integration (Helbling 2020-)
Subject:	320 Political science
Abstract:	This study investigates how antidiscrimination policy and related policy knowledge influence citizens’ support for the democratic system and its institutions. The article argues that antidiscrimination measures and knowledge about rights to equal treatment foster perceptions of government responsiveness, which increase political support among target groups and citizens who advocate egalitarianism. Utilizing a longitudinal design and more valid measures to resolve causality issues, the results of the empirical models show that increases in policy knowledge over time systematically predict higher political support, especially among individuals who hold egalitarian values. Individuals who are discriminated against express particularly high political support in contexts where antidiscrimination laws are expanded. Overall, the results amplify the role of policy knowledge as a key factor in studying policy feedback effects.