Vote choice and performance evaluations in competitive authoritarianism: evidence from Turkey

Abstract

This study examines the extent to which issue salience and government performance evaluations influence voter decisions in a competitive authoritarian regime, using Turkey as a case study. Drawing on nationwide survey data from 1,529 voters, we analyse a broad spectrum of issues, including areas where the government performs well, such as security and conservative issues, and areas of poor performance, such as economic welfare and Syrian refugees. Our findings reveal an association between voter behavior and government performance evaluations, showing that these evaluations vary significantly across different policy domains. We emphasise the critical role of issue salience in shaping voter preferences in competitive authoritarian regimes.