Richard O Sinnott
Biographic Data
| ID | 1836418 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Richard O Sinnott |
| GIVEN NAMES | Richard |
| FAMILY NAME | O Sinnott |
| SIGNATURE | SINNOTT R O |
| AFFILIATIONS | University College Dublin |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5998-222X |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 40 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 274 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 40 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1981 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2019 |
| H-INDEX | 8 |
Economic Voting in EU Referendums
Economic voting is one of the most studied aspects of electoral behaviour. The dominant view is that sociotropic economic considerations are more important to voters in national elections. However, other research suggests that utilitarian motivations are key to understanding support for the EU. An EU integration referendum offers the opportunity to explore whether and when sociotropic or utilitarian motivations are more important in determining v…
Estimating micro-populations through social media analytics
Supporting geospatial privacy-preserving data mining of social media
Political knowledge and campaign effects in the 2008 Irish referendum on the Lisbon Treaty
Enabling Quantitative Data Analysis Through e-Infrastructure
This article discusses how quantitative data analysis in the social sciences can engage with and exploit an e-Infrastructure. We highlight how a number of activities that are central to quantitative data analysis, referred to as ‘‘data management,’’ can benefit from e-Infrastructural support. We conclude by discussing how these issues are relevant to the Data Management through e-Social Science (DAMES) research Node, an ongoing project that aims …
Risk, Government and Globalization
Irish Public Opinion toward European Integration
Conventional wisdom suggests that Irish people tend to be very positive about the European Union. However, the reality of Irish opinion is more nuanced. Using individual level data (Eurobarometer 61), we examine whether or not the factors that are held to shape opinion toward European integration have similar influences on differing aspects of opinion toward integration: (1) an affective orientation to EU membership and (2) items that embody Euro…
Historical legacies and contemporary attitudes
Notes on Authors
Confidence in political institutions and political participation
The constitutional question
Conclusion
Religion
Left-right divide and ‘new issue’ politics
Data sources
European Values Study 1999–2000
Identity
Work, subjective well-being and social capital
The liberal-conservative divide
The determinants of individual attitudes towards immigration
Conflict and Consensus
This study presents a detailed comparison of cultural values and attitudes in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is based on survey data covering the period from the 1970s to 2003 but focusing especially on the European Values Study (EVS) as fielded in the two parts of Ireland in 1999-2000. The study confirms the deep divisions in identity and political allegiance that separate the Catholic and Protestant communities in Northern Ire…
An Evaluation of the Measurement of National, Subnational and Supranational Identity in Crossnational Surveys
Journal Article An Evaluation of the Measurement of National, Subnational and Supranational Identity in Crossnational Surveys Get access Richard Sinnott Richard Sinnott Professor Richard Sinnott is Director of the Public Opinion and Political Behaviour research programme at the UCD Geary Institute for the Social Sciences, University College Dublin. Correspondence to Professor Richard Sinnott, UCD Geary Institute for the Social Sciences, Universit…
Second-order’ versus ‘Issue-voting’ Effects in EU Referendums
Are referendums on EU treaties decided by voters’ attitudes to Europe (the ‘issue-voting’ explanation) or by voters’ attitudes to their national political parties and incumbent national government (the ‘second-order election model’ explanation)? In one scenario, these referendums will approximate to deliberative processes that will be decided by people’s views of the merits of European integration. In the other scenario, they will be plebiscites …
What Decided the Election
The purpose of this chapter is to explain why and how the remarkable changes outlined in the previous chapter came about. Why did the voters return an incumbent government for the first time in more than 30 years? What accounts for the reversal that drove Fine Gael back to a level of support not seen by the party since 1948? And why did those voters itching for change shun Labour in favour of the 'new opposition' — the Greens, Sinn Féin and the i…
Political knowledge and electoral choice
(2002). Political knowledge and electoral choice. British Elections & Parties Review: Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 11-27
Second-order’ versus ‘Issue-voting’ Effects in EU Referendums
Are referendums on EU treaties decided by voters’ attitudes to Europe (the ‘issue-voting’ explanation) or by voters’ attitudes to their national political parties and incumbent national government (the ‘second-order election model’ explanation)? In one scenario, these referendums will approximate to deliberative processes that will be decided by people’s views of the merits of European integration. In the other scenario, they will be plebiscites …
An Evaluation of the Measurement of National, Subnational and Supranational Identity in Crossnational Surveys
Journal Article An Evaluation of the Measurement of National, Subnational and Supranational Identity in Crossnational Surveys Get access Richard Sinnott Richard Sinnott Professor Richard Sinnott is Director of the Public Opinion and Political Behaviour research programme at the UCD Geary Institute for the Social Sciences, University College Dublin. Correspondence to Professor Richard Sinnott, UCD Geary Institute for the Social Sciences, Universit…
Cleavages, parties and referendums
In the Irish case, a combination of quite restrictive constitutional provisions for consulting the people and extensive social and political change has produced a variety of forms of initiation of referendums and a surprisingly large number of them (25 since the late 1960s). Referendums in Ireland have frequently been related to underlying political cleavages while only very infrequently evoking major inter–party conflict. This suggests that refe…
Representation and voter participation
This paper presents results from a study of turnout in the 1994 European Parliament elections which inserted several new questions into the post–election Eurobarometer, including some open–ended questions. It distinguishes between circumstantial and voluntary abstention and shows how each type varies depending on the institutional arrangements for the election. Using both the subjective reasons given for abstention and a range of more objective m…
Conflict and Consensus
This study presents a detailed comparison of cultural values and attitudes in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is based on survey data covering the period from the 1970s to 2003 but focusing especially on the European Values Study (EVS) as fielded in the two parts of Ireland in 1999-2000. The study confirms the deep divisions in identity and political allegiance that separate the Catholic and Protestant communities in Northern Ire…
Party Attachment in Europe
This article identifies the different ways in which the Eurobarometer surveys measure party attachment in different sets of member states of the European Community or Union. The main variants are an absolute question, an ordinal question and a relative question. Using Eurobarometer data covering the period 1978–94, it is shown that these different questions produce predictably different estimates of the distribution of party attachment. The metho…
Political knowledge and electoral choice
(2002). Political knowledge and electoral choice. British Elections & Parties Review: Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 11-27
Political knowledge and campaign effects in the 2008 Irish referendum on the Lisbon Treaty
Party Differences and Spatial Representation
The Irish party system is unique. In no other European polity does a small number of programmatically indistinguishable parties, each commanding heterogeneous electoral support, constitute the entire party system.’ This bold statement is merely a particularly forthright expression of a commonly held view about political parties in the Republic of Ireland. This view is understandable given that the formal casus belli between the two major parties …
Irish Public Opinion toward European Integration
Conventional wisdom suggests that Irish people tend to be very positive about the European Union. However, the reality of Irish opinion is more nuanced. Using individual level data (Eurobarometer 61), we examine whether or not the factors that are held to shape opinion toward European integration have similar influences on differing aspects of opinion toward integration: (1) an affective orientation to EU membership and (2) items that embody Euro…
The Irish national election study
Simulating multi‐option referendums in Ireland
This paper simulates the possible operation of multi‐option referendums in Ireland in two important issue areas, neutrality and abortion. First, we explain the four main multi‐option ballot and vote‐counting procedures. We then construct full preference schedules over a range of options for each of our two issues. Finally, we show the outcomes of referendums in which these hypothetical but empirically grounded preferences are expressed and counte…
Political mobilization, political institutionalization and the maintenance of ethnic conflict
Economic Voting in EU Referendums
Economic voting is one of the most studied aspects of electoral behaviour. The dominant view is that sociotropic economic considerations are more important to voters in national elections. However, other research suggests that utilitarian motivations are key to understanding support for the EU. An EU integration referendum offers the opportunity to explore whether and when sociotropic or utilitarian motivations are more important in determining v…
Locating parties, factions and ministers in a policy space
The article examines approaches to the study of the party‐policy link and argues that two generally held assumptions ‐ the unidimensionality of party political conflict and the party as unitary actor ‐ should be treated as matters for empirical dedermination rather than a priori assumption. Having briefly reviewed interpretations of dimensionality in the Irish party system, the article puts forward an empirical approach to both issues based on mu…
The north
Using material from an extensive set of interviews conducted with the parliamentary elite in 1974–75, this paper examines the role of the nationalist issue in party self images, and investigates party positions on the Northern Ireland problem in terms of their analyses, preferred solutions and overall policy. Substantial differences arc shown to have existed on all counts. These findings suggest some qualification to the thesis that there are no …
Attitudes in the Republic of Ireland Relevant to the Northern Ireland Problem, Vol. 1
the Republic of Ireland " Comparison of Policy Preferencesin the Republic ot" Ireland, Northern Ireland and Great Britain: British Withdrawal Comparison of Perceived Consequences of Unilat.eralBritish Withdrawal from Northern Ireland Comparison of Policy Preferences in the Republic ot'Ireland and Northern Ireland: h'ish Government's General Security Policy Comparison of Perceptions of Irish Government Security Policy in the Republic of Ireland, N…
Political mobilization, political institutionalization and the maintenance of ethnic conflict
Party Differences and Spatial Representation
The Irish party system is unique. In no other European polity does a small number of programmatically indistinguishable parties, each commanding heterogeneous electoral support, constitute the entire party system.’ This bold statement is merely a particularly forthright expression of a commonly held view about political parties in the Republic of Ireland. This view is understandable given that the formal casus belli between the two major parties …
The north
Using material from an extensive set of interviews conducted with the parliamentary elite in 1974–75, this paper examines the role of the nationalist issue in party self images, and investigates party positions on the Northern Ireland problem in terms of their analyses, preferred solutions and overall policy. Substantial differences arc shown to have existed on all counts. These findings suggest some qualification to the thesis that there are no …
The general election in the Republic; 17 February, 1987
"The general election in the Republic; 17 February, 1987." Irish Political Studies, 2(1), pp. 115–124
Locating parties, factions and ministers in a policy space
The article examines approaches to the study of the party‐policy link and argues that two generally held assumptions ‐ the unidimensionality of party political conflict and the party as unitary actor ‐ should be treated as matters for empirical dedermination rather than a priori assumption. Having briefly reviewed interpretations of dimensionality in the Irish party system, the article puts forward an empirical approach to both issues based on mu…
Choosing an electoral system for elections to conflict‐resolution negotiations
Richard Sinnott argues party list PR was the best choice for the purpose of electing delegates to the Northern Ireland Forum
Representation and voter participation
This paper presents results from a study of turnout in the 1994 European Parliament elections which inserted several new questions into the post–election Eurobarometer, including some open–ended questions. It distinguishes between circumstantial and voluntary abstention and shows how each type varies depending on the institutional arrangements for the election. Using both the subjective reasons given for abstention and a range of more objective m…
People and Parliament in the European Union
The power of the European Parliament has been steadily and visibly increasing in recent years. This arises from EU treaty changes and from the fact that more and more decisions are being made at the European level. At the same time, however, the already low rate of turnout in European elections has actually been declining. This powerful new study examines a seemingly paradoxical situation which has raised deep concern about the democratic deficit…
Party Attachment in Europe
This article identifies the different ways in which the Eurobarometer surveys measure party attachment in different sets of member states of the European Community or Union. The main variants are an absolute question, an ordinal question and a relative question. Using Eurobarometer data covering the period 1978–94, it is shown that these different questions produce predictably different estimates of the distribution of party attachment. The metho…
Neo‐functionalism and the legitimacy of integration
Contrary to common belief, neo‐functionalism, at least in its revisionist form, did not confine its attention to elites. Consequently, one of its core propositions‐that support for integration can be generated by the experience of sector‐specific economic benefits‐applies to mass attitudes. From this starting point, the paper takes support for integration among farmers as a test case. However, following Caparoso's injunction to situate individual…
Simulating multi‐option referendums in Ireland
This paper simulates the possible operation of multi‐option referendums in Ireland in two important issue areas, neutrality and abortion. First, we explain the four main multi‐option ballot and vote‐counting procedures. We then construct full preference schedules over a range of options for each of our two issues. Finally, we show the outcomes of referendums in which these hypothetical but empirically grounded preferences are expressed and counte…
The Determinants of Individual Trade Policy Preferences
What determines trade policy? While this may seem to be mainly a question for political scientists, it is of increasing concern to international trade theorists, faced with the obvious disjunction between the free trade prescriptions of standard trade models and the protectionist policies pursued by so many governments. 1 The intellectual stakes for economists have increased further with the advent of endogenous growth models, which predict that …
The Irish national election study
Political knowledge and electoral choice
(2002). Political knowledge and electoral choice. British Elections & Parties Review: Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 11-27
Cleavages, parties and referendums
In the Irish case, a combination of quite restrictive constitutional provisions for consulting the people and extensive social and political change has produced a variety of forms of initiation of referendums and a surprisingly large number of them (25 since the late 1960s). Referendums in Ireland have frequently been related to underlying political cleavages while only very infrequently evoking major inter–party conflict. This suggests that refe…
What Decided the Election
The purpose of this chapter is to explain why and how the remarkable changes outlined in the previous chapter came about. Why did the voters return an incumbent government for the first time in more than 30 years? What accounts for the reversal that drove Fine Gael back to a level of support not seen by the party since 1948? And why did those voters itching for change shun Labour in favour of the 'new opposition' — the Greens, Sinn Féin and the i…
An Evaluation of the Measurement of National, Subnational and Supranational Identity in Crossnational Surveys
Journal Article An Evaluation of the Measurement of National, Subnational and Supranational Identity in Crossnational Surveys Get access Richard Sinnott Richard Sinnott Professor Richard Sinnott is Director of the Public Opinion and Political Behaviour research programme at the UCD Geary Institute for the Social Sciences, University College Dublin. Correspondence to Professor Richard Sinnott, UCD Geary Institute for the Social Sciences, Universit…
Second-order’ versus ‘Issue-voting’ Effects in EU Referendums
Are referendums on EU treaties decided by voters’ attitudes to Europe (the ‘issue-voting’ explanation) or by voters’ attitudes to their national political parties and incumbent national government (the ‘second-order election model’ explanation)? In one scenario, these referendums will approximate to deliberative processes that will be decided by people’s views of the merits of European integration. In the other scenario, they will be plebiscites …
Historical legacies and contemporary attitudes
Notes on Authors
Confidence in political institutions and political participation
The constitutional question
Conclusion
Religion
Political science (30 works) · Law (23 works) · Politics (23 works) · Sociology (19 works) · Electoral Systems and Political Participation (14 works) · Law (14 works) · Economics (12 works) · Political economy (11 works) · Computer Science (9 works) · European Union Policy and Governance (9 works)