Skip to main content
Log in

Tensions between meritocracy and democracy? A reply to the diploma democracy thesis

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Acta Politica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Bovens and Wille argue that the Netherlands has become a diploma democracy in which the higher educated dominate all venues of political participation and thus shape policy in their favor. Bovens and Wille see disparities between the political priorities and preferences of the higher and lower educated and argue that the lower levels of participation of the less educated lead to their underrepresentation and subsequent disaffection. In this reply, it is argued that the empirical analysis that supports Bovens and Wille's thesis does not warrant such a conclusion. A replication of Bovens and Wille's analysis shows that the gap between higher and lower educated is non-existent and that the differences in political behavior cannot simply be attributed to education.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aarts, K., van der Kolk, H., Rosema, M. and Schmeets, H. (2007) Dutch Parliamentary Election Study 2006 – Documentation. Enschede, the Netherlands: DANS.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bovens, M. and Wille, A. (2010) The education gap in participation and its political consequences. Acta Politica 45 (4): 393–422.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bovens, M. and Wille, A. (2011) Diplomademocratie: Over de spanning tussen meritocratie en democratie. Amsterdam, the Netherlands: Bert Bakker.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hakhverdian, A., van der Brug, W. and de Vries, C. (2011) The emergence of a ‘diploma democracy?’ Acta Politica, forthcoming.

  • Rabinowitz, G. and MacDonald, S.E. (1989) A directional theory of issue voting. American Political Science Review 83 (1): 93–121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Todosijevic, B., Aarts, K. and van der Kaap, H. (2010) Dutch Parliamentary Election Studies: Cumulative 1971–2006 Data File. Den Haag, the Netherlands: DANS.

    Google Scholar 

  • Verba, S. and Nie, N.H. (1972) Participation in America: Political Democracy and Social Equality. New York: Harper and Row.

    Google Scholar 

  • Verba, S., Nie, N.H. and Kim, J. (1978) Participation and Political Equality. A Seven-Nation Comparison. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to extend their gratitude to Galen Irwin, Rudy Andeweg and Huib Pellikaan for their invaluable comments during the process of writing this article. This article was written as part of the 2011 Replication Workshop in the Research Master Political Science of Universiteit Leiden.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gert-Jan Lindeboom.

Additional information

*Joost Waterborg, Kirsten Lucas and Gert-Jan Lindeboom are graduates of Universiteit Leiden.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Waterborg, J., Lucas, K. & Lindeboom, GJ. Tensions between meritocracy and democracy? A reply to the diploma democracy thesis. Acta Polit 47, 248–258 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1057/ap.2011.28

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/ap.2011.28

Keywords

Navigation