Democratic Backsliding, Elite Polarization, and Job Seekers' Pursuit of Government Employment

• 成果类型: Editorial Material; Early Access
• 署名作者: Miller, Susan M.; Gilad, Sharon
• 署名单位: Arizona State University; Arizona State University-Downtown Phoenix; Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Hebrew University of Jerusalem
• 刊物名称: REGULATION & GOVERNANCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1748-5983; 1748-5991
• DOI: 10.1111/rego.70138
• 发表日期: 2026-03-11
• 关键词: service

摘要

Recent studies examine the conditions under which citizens in democracies are willing to endorse leaders who promote antidemocratic platforms. Less is known about the downstream ramifications of democratic backsliding on American citizens' attitudes and behaviors toward government. Specifically, no study has examined whether democratic backsliding affects citizens' willingness to engage with, collaborate with, and contribute to government. This article advances this research agenda by employing a conjoint experiment to assess the impact of state-level democratic backsliding and elite polarization on Americans' attraction to state government employment among those who are actively seeking employment. Findings indicate that democratic backsliding, including political attacks on the state bureaucracy, alongside elite polarization, significantly and negatively affect job seekers' attraction to state government work. These findings suggest democratic backsliding and polarization repel potential job seekers, undermining the government's already limited capacity to compete with businesses over talent and its democratic resilience.