Carolien Van Ham
Biographic Data
| ID | 3717607 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Carolien Van Ham |
| GIVEN NAMES | Carolien |
| FAMILY NAME | Van Ham |
| SIGNATURE | VAN HAM C |
| AFFILIATIONS | UNSW Sydney |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-9844-9097 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 24 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 660 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 22 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 2 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2008 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 11 |
Credible resistance or political ploy? How government status and consistency shape citizen perceptions of parliamentarians’ democratic defence
Parliamentarians play a primary role in defending democracy against incumbent-led democratic recession. They can resist autocratization in the political arena by standing up against the incumbent government when they show signs of becoming a would-be autocrat. Doing so, parliamentarians can help citizens mobilize against democratic recession. However, parliamentarians are not always credible as democratic defenders to citizens as their defence mi…
When elites defend democracy, do citizens listen? How elites alert citizens to democratic recession
The would-be autocrats’ toolkit: What Do Incumbents Do When They Undermine Democracy
Since the 1990s, incumbent-led autocratization in democracies is increasingly common. However, there is surprisingly little systematic and comparative research into the actions would-be autocrats actually take when they undermine democracy. We analyse the wealth of in-depth case studies of all cases of incumbent-led autocratization in democracies from 1990 until 2023 to develop such an overview of autocratic actions inductively. This empirically …
A meta‐analysis of the effects of democratic innovations on participants’ attitudes, behaviour and capabilities
Democratic innovations aim to strengthen citizen participation in democratic decision‐making processes. Building on theories of deliberative democracy, participatory democracy and direct democracy, different types of democratic innovations have been developed, ranging from mini‐publics, to participatory processes and referendums and citizens’ initiatives. Over the last four decades, an expanding number of scholars have investigated the effects of…
When legitimacy becomes the object of politics: The politicization of political support in European democracies
Democratic legitimacy is essential for democratic stability, as democracies rely on citizen support to survive. However, perceived legitimacy gaps can also be an important catalyst for change and potential democratic renewal, begging the question when challenges to legitimacy become problematic for democratic survival. Easton distinguished between citizen support for political authorities and the political system, and argued that if support for p…
A Matter of Misunderstanding? Explaining (Mis)Perceptions of Electoral Integrity across 25 Different Nations
In this paper, we investigate how trust in traditional and social media correlate with misperceptions of electoral integrity. Relying on insights from political communication research on exposure to misinformation and selective exposure mechanisms, as well as insights on the different roles of traditional and social media in different regime types, we argue that misperceptions of election integrity are likely driven in large part by the interplay…
Countering autocratization: A Roadmap for Democratic Defence
Contains fulltext : 298236.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access
Electoral management and the organisational determinants of electoral integrity: Introduction
Achieving the ideals of electoral democracy depends on well-run elections. Persistent problems of electoral integrity in transitional and established democracies have prompted a burgeoning literature seeking to explain the determinants of electoral integrity around the world. However, the study of the organisations responsible for managing the electoral process has been limited to isolated national case studies. This article opens up an interdisc…
Building impartial electoral management? Institutional design, independence and electoral integrity
Electoral integrity is a persistent concern in both established and transitional democracies. Independent Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs) have been championed as a key institutional reform measure to strengthen electoral integrity and are now the most common model of electoral management worldwide. Yet, empirical research has found conflicting evidence on the link between formal EMB independence and electoral integrity. We argue that conflicti…
Strong states, weak elections? How state capacity in authoritarian regimes conditions the democratizing power of elections
State capacity may be a crucial factor conditioning the democratizing power of elections in authoritarian regimes. This paper develops a two-phase theory considers the different effects of state capacity on turnover in elections and democratic change after elections. In regimes with limited state capacity, manipulating elections and repressing opposition is more difficult than in regimes with extensive state capacity, rendering turnover in electi…
Myth and Reality of the Legitimacy Crisis
Theories about legitimacy decline and legitimacy crisis are as old as democracy itself. Yet, representative democracy still exists, and empirical evidence for a secular decline of political support in established democracies is limited, questionable, or absent. This calls into question existing explanatory theories of legitimacy decline. How valid are theories of modernization, globalization, media malaise, social capital, and party decline, if t…
A Legitimacy Crisis of Representative Democracy?
This chapter presents the research questions and outline of the book, providing a brief review of the state of the art of legitimacy research in established democracies, and discusses the recurring theme of crisis throughout this literature since the 1960s. It includes a discussion of the conceptualization and measurement of legitimacy, seeking to relate legitimacy to political support, and reflecting on how to evaluate empirical indicators: what…
Myth and Reality of the Legitimacy Crisis: Explaining Trends and Cross-National Differences in Established Democracies
Democracy and human rights: A tripartite conceptual framework
The end of the 20th century witnessed a worldwide spread of democracy and human rights that was unprecedented in history. Yet, it seems increasingly clear that democracy and human rights do not necessarily go together. Human rights violations are often justified in name of democracy and freedom, and even in established democracies human rights violations are common. This article develops a tripartite conceptual framework to examine the connection…
Vanguard or laggard? Democracy and human rights in Australia
Getting away with foul play? The importance of formal and informal oversight institutions for electoral integrity
Electoral integrity is increasingly being recognised as an important component of democracy, yet scholars still have limited understanding of the circumstances under which elections are most likely to be free, fair and genuine. This article posits that effective oversight institutions play a key role in scrutinising the electoral process and holding those with an interest in the electoral outcome to account. The main insight is that deficiencies …
What explains regional variation in election fraud? Evidence from Russia: A Research Note
The December 2011 legislative election was among the most fraudulent national elections in Russia since the communist period. The fraud, however, was not evenly spread across the country. Precinct-level election returns from the 83 regions of the Russian Federation suggest that the level of fraud ranged from minimal or small in some regions to extreme in some others, with moderate to high fraud levels in many regions in between. We argue that in …
From Sticks to Carrots: Electoral Manipulation in Africa, 1986–2012
Over 90 per cent of the world’s states currently select their national leaders through multiparty elections. However, in Africa the quality of elections still varies widely, ranging from elections plagued by violence and fraud to elections that are relatively ‘free and fair’. Yet, little is known about trade-offs between different strategies of electoral manipulation and the differences between incumbent and opposition actors’ strategies. We theo…
Can experts judge elections? Testing the validity of expert judgments for measuring election integrity
Expert surveys have been used to measure a wide variety of phenomena in political science, ranging from party positions, to corruption, to the quality of democracy and elections. However, expert judgments raise important validity concerns, both about the object being measured as well as the experts. It is argued in this article that the context of evaluation is also important to consider when assessing the validity of expert surveys. This is even…
Getting elections right? Measuring electoral integrity
n Contains fulltext :\n 205845.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access)\n
When Guardians Matter Most: Exploring the Conditions Under Which Electoral Management Body Institutional Design Affects Election Integrity
Problems with election fraud and election integrity are of increasing interest in both established and transitional democracies. In many transitional democracies, independent electoral management bodies (EMBs) have been championed as a key institutional reform measure to successfully strengthen election integrity. However, empirical findings regarding the impact of EMB institutional design on election integrity are mixed. While regional studies h…
Failing Political Representation or a Change in Kind? Models of Representation and Empirical Trends in Europe
This article reviews Peter Mair’s argument on the failure of political parties and the subsequent failure of representative democracy in Europe. It develops a conceptual framework to test the validity of Mair’s argument against competing interpretations of the development of representative democracy. It identifies three ideal typical models of representative democracy that seem to have succeeded each other over time: cleavage-based democracy, com…
The embarrassment of riches? A meta-analysis of individual-level research on voter turnout
Controlling Governments? New Perspectives on Accountability
n Contains fulltext :\n 205853.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access)\n
The embarrassment of riches? A meta-analysis of individual-level research on voter turnout
From Sticks to Carrots: Electoral Manipulation in Africa, 1986–2012
Over 90 per cent of the world’s states currently select their national leaders through multiparty elections. However, in Africa the quality of elections still varies widely, ranging from elections plagued by violence and fraud to elections that are relatively ‘free and fair’. Yet, little is known about trade-offs between different strategies of electoral manipulation and the differences between incumbent and opposition actors’ strategies. We theo…
Can experts judge elections? Testing the validity of expert judgments for measuring election integrity
Expert surveys have been used to measure a wide variety of phenomena in political science, ranging from party positions, to corruption, to the quality of democracy and elections. However, expert judgments raise important validity concerns, both about the object being measured as well as the experts. It is argued in this article that the context of evaluation is also important to consider when assessing the validity of expert surveys. This is even…
Electoral management and the organisational determinants of electoral integrity: Introduction
Achieving the ideals of electoral democracy depends on well-run elections. Persistent problems of electoral integrity in transitional and established democracies have prompted a burgeoning literature seeking to explain the determinants of electoral integrity around the world. However, the study of the organisations responsible for managing the electoral process has been limited to isolated national case studies. This article opens up an interdisc…
Building impartial electoral management? Institutional design, independence and electoral integrity
Electoral integrity is a persistent concern in both established and transitional democracies. Independent Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs) have been championed as a key institutional reform measure to strengthen electoral integrity and are now the most common model of electoral management worldwide. Yet, empirical research has found conflicting evidence on the link between formal EMB independence and electoral integrity. We argue that conflicti…
What explains regional variation in election fraud? Evidence from Russia: A Research Note
The December 2011 legislative election was among the most fraudulent national elections in Russia since the communist period. The fraud, however, was not evenly spread across the country. Precinct-level election returns from the 83 regions of the Russian Federation suggest that the level of fraud ranged from minimal or small in some regions to extreme in some others, with moderate to high fraud levels in many regions in between. We argue that in …
Getting elections right? Measuring electoral integrity
n Contains fulltext :\n 205845.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access)\n
Getting away with foul play? The importance of formal and informal oversight institutions for electoral integrity
Electoral integrity is increasingly being recognised as an important component of democracy, yet scholars still have limited understanding of the circumstances under which elections are most likely to be free, fair and genuine. This article posits that effective oversight institutions play a key role in scrutinising the electoral process and holding those with an interest in the electoral outcome to account. The main insight is that deficiencies …
Countering autocratization: A Roadmap for Democratic Defence
Contains fulltext : 298236.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access
When Guardians Matter Most: Exploring the Conditions Under Which Electoral Management Body Institutional Design Affects Election Integrity
Problems with election fraud and election integrity are of increasing interest in both established and transitional democracies. In many transitional democracies, independent electoral management bodies (EMBs) have been championed as a key institutional reform measure to successfully strengthen election integrity. However, empirical findings regarding the impact of EMB institutional design on election integrity are mixed. While regional studies h…
Failing Political Representation or a Change in Kind? Models of Representation and Empirical Trends in Europe
This article reviews Peter Mair’s argument on the failure of political parties and the subsequent failure of representative democracy in Europe. It develops a conceptual framework to test the validity of Mair’s argument against competing interpretations of the development of representative democracy. It identifies three ideal typical models of representative democracy that seem to have succeeded each other over time: cleavage-based democracy, com…
Strong states, weak elections? How state capacity in authoritarian regimes conditions the democratizing power of elections
State capacity may be a crucial factor conditioning the democratizing power of elections in authoritarian regimes. This paper develops a two-phase theory considers the different effects of state capacity on turnover in elections and democratic change after elections. In regimes with limited state capacity, manipulating elections and repressing opposition is more difficult than in regimes with extensive state capacity, rendering turnover in electi…
A meta‐analysis of the effects of democratic innovations on participants’ attitudes, behaviour and capabilities
Democratic innovations aim to strengthen citizen participation in democratic decision‐making processes. Building on theories of deliberative democracy, participatory democracy and direct democracy, different types of democratic innovations have been developed, ranging from mini‐publics, to participatory processes and referendums and citizens’ initiatives. Over the last four decades, an expanding number of scholars have investigated the effects of…
When legitimacy becomes the object of politics: The politicization of political support in European democracies
Democratic legitimacy is essential for democratic stability, as democracies rely on citizen support to survive. However, perceived legitimacy gaps can also be an important catalyst for change and potential democratic renewal, begging the question when challenges to legitimacy become problematic for democratic survival. Easton distinguished between citizen support for political authorities and the political system, and argued that if support for p…
Democracy and human rights: A tripartite conceptual framework
The end of the 20th century witnessed a worldwide spread of democracy and human rights that was unprecedented in history. Yet, it seems increasingly clear that democracy and human rights do not necessarily go together. Human rights violations are often justified in name of democracy and freedom, and even in established democracies human rights violations are common. This article develops a tripartite conceptual framework to examine the connection…
The would-be autocrats’ toolkit: What Do Incumbents Do When They Undermine Democracy
Since the 1990s, incumbent-led autocratization in democracies is increasingly common. However, there is surprisingly little systematic and comparative research into the actions would-be autocrats actually take when they undermine democracy. We analyse the wealth of in-depth case studies of all cases of incumbent-led autocratization in democracies from 1990 until 2023 to develop such an overview of autocratic actions inductively. This empirically …
A Matter of Misunderstanding? Explaining (Mis)Perceptions of Electoral Integrity across 25 Different Nations
In this paper, we investigate how trust in traditional and social media correlate with misperceptions of electoral integrity. Relying on insights from political communication research on exposure to misinformation and selective exposure mechanisms, as well as insights on the different roles of traditional and social media in different regime types, we argue that misperceptions of election integrity are likely driven in large part by the interplay…
Vanguard or laggard? Democracy and human rights in Australia
Controlling Governments? New Perspectives on Accountability
n Contains fulltext :\n 205853.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access)\n
The embarrassment of riches? A meta-analysis of individual-level research on voter turnout
Failing Political Representation or a Change in Kind? Models of Representation and Empirical Trends in Europe
This article reviews Peter Mair’s argument on the failure of political parties and the subsequent failure of representative democracy in Europe. It develops a conceptual framework to test the validity of Mair’s argument against competing interpretations of the development of representative democracy. It identifies three ideal typical models of representative democracy that seem to have succeeded each other over time: cleavage-based democracy, com…
What explains regional variation in election fraud? Evidence from Russia: A Research Note
The December 2011 legislative election was among the most fraudulent national elections in Russia since the communist period. The fraud, however, was not evenly spread across the country. Precinct-level election returns from the 83 regions of the Russian Federation suggest that the level of fraud ranged from minimal or small in some regions to extreme in some others, with moderate to high fraud levels in many regions in between. We argue that in …
From Sticks to Carrots: Electoral Manipulation in Africa, 1986–2012
Over 90 per cent of the world’s states currently select their national leaders through multiparty elections. However, in Africa the quality of elections still varies widely, ranging from elections plagued by violence and fraud to elections that are relatively ‘free and fair’. Yet, little is known about trade-offs between different strategies of electoral manipulation and the differences between incumbent and opposition actors’ strategies. We theo…
Can experts judge elections? Testing the validity of expert judgments for measuring election integrity
Expert surveys have been used to measure a wide variety of phenomena in political science, ranging from party positions, to corruption, to the quality of democracy and elections. However, expert judgments raise important validity concerns, both about the object being measured as well as the experts. It is argued in this article that the context of evaluation is also important to consider when assessing the validity of expert surveys. This is even…
Getting elections right? Measuring electoral integrity
n Contains fulltext :\n 205845.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access)\n
When Guardians Matter Most: Exploring the Conditions Under Which Electoral Management Body Institutional Design Affects Election Integrity
Problems with election fraud and election integrity are of increasing interest in both established and transitional democracies. In many transitional democracies, independent electoral management bodies (EMBs) have been championed as a key institutional reform measure to successfully strengthen election integrity. However, empirical findings regarding the impact of EMB institutional design on election integrity are mixed. While regional studies h…
Myth and Reality of the Legitimacy Crisis
Theories about legitimacy decline and legitimacy crisis are as old as democracy itself. Yet, representative democracy still exists, and empirical evidence for a secular decline of political support in established democracies is limited, questionable, or absent. This calls into question existing explanatory theories of legitimacy decline. How valid are theories of modernization, globalization, media malaise, social capital, and party decline, if t…
A Legitimacy Crisis of Representative Democracy?
This chapter presents the research questions and outline of the book, providing a brief review of the state of the art of legitimacy research in established democracies, and discusses the recurring theme of crisis throughout this literature since the 1960s. It includes a discussion of the conceptualization and measurement of legitimacy, seeking to relate legitimacy to political support, and reflecting on how to evaluate empirical indicators: what…
Myth and Reality of the Legitimacy Crisis: Explaining Trends and Cross-National Differences in Established Democracies
Democracy and human rights: A tripartite conceptual framework
The end of the 20th century witnessed a worldwide spread of democracy and human rights that was unprecedented in history. Yet, it seems increasingly clear that democracy and human rights do not necessarily go together. Human rights violations are often justified in name of democracy and freedom, and even in established democracies human rights violations are common. This article develops a tripartite conceptual framework to examine the connection…
Vanguard or laggard? Democracy and human rights in Australia
Getting away with foul play? The importance of formal and informal oversight institutions for electoral integrity
Electoral integrity is increasingly being recognised as an important component of democracy, yet scholars still have limited understanding of the circumstances under which elections are most likely to be free, fair and genuine. This article posits that effective oversight institutions play a key role in scrutinising the electoral process and holding those with an interest in the electoral outcome to account. The main insight is that deficiencies …
Strong states, weak elections? How state capacity in authoritarian regimes conditions the democratizing power of elections
State capacity may be a crucial factor conditioning the democratizing power of elections in authoritarian regimes. This paper develops a two-phase theory considers the different effects of state capacity on turnover in elections and democratic change after elections. In regimes with limited state capacity, manipulating elections and repressing opposition is more difficult than in regimes with extensive state capacity, rendering turnover in electi…
Electoral management and the organisational determinants of electoral integrity: Introduction
Achieving the ideals of electoral democracy depends on well-run elections. Persistent problems of electoral integrity in transitional and established democracies have prompted a burgeoning literature seeking to explain the determinants of electoral integrity around the world. However, the study of the organisations responsible for managing the electoral process has been limited to isolated national case studies. This article opens up an interdisc…
Building impartial electoral management? Institutional design, independence and electoral integrity
Electoral integrity is a persistent concern in both established and transitional democracies. Independent Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs) have been championed as a key institutional reform measure to strengthen electoral integrity and are now the most common model of electoral management worldwide. Yet, empirical research has found conflicting evidence on the link between formal EMB independence and electoral integrity. We argue that conflicti…
When legitimacy becomes the object of politics: The politicization of political support in European democracies
Democratic legitimacy is essential for democratic stability, as democracies rely on citizen support to survive. However, perceived legitimacy gaps can also be an important catalyst for change and potential democratic renewal, begging the question when challenges to legitimacy become problematic for democratic survival. Easton distinguished between citizen support for political authorities and the political system, and argued that if support for p…
A Matter of Misunderstanding? Explaining (Mis)Perceptions of Electoral Integrity across 25 Different Nations
In this paper, we investigate how trust in traditional and social media correlate with misperceptions of electoral integrity. Relying on insights from political communication research on exposure to misinformation and selective exposure mechanisms, as well as insights on the different roles of traditional and social media in different regime types, we argue that misperceptions of election integrity are likely driven in large part by the interplay…
Countering autocratization: A Roadmap for Democratic Defence
Contains fulltext : 298236.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access
The would-be autocrats’ toolkit: What Do Incumbents Do When They Undermine Democracy
Since the 1990s, incumbent-led autocratization in democracies is increasingly common. However, there is surprisingly little systematic and comparative research into the actions would-be autocrats actually take when they undermine democracy. We analyse the wealth of in-depth case studies of all cases of incumbent-led autocratization in democracies from 1990 until 2023 to develop such an overview of autocratic actions inductively. This empirically …
A meta‐analysis of the effects of democratic innovations on participants’ attitudes, behaviour and capabilities
Democratic innovations aim to strengthen citizen participation in democratic decision‐making processes. Building on theories of deliberative democracy, participatory democracy and direct democracy, different types of democratic innovations have been developed, ranging from mini‐publics, to participatory processes and referendums and citizens’ initiatives. Over the last four decades, an expanding number of scholars have investigated the effects of…
Credible resistance or political ploy? How government status and consistency shape citizen perceptions of parliamentarians’ democratic defence
Parliamentarians play a primary role in defending democracy against incumbent-led democratic recession. They can resist autocratization in the political arena by standing up against the incumbent government when they show signs of becoming a would-be autocrat. Doing so, parliamentarians can help citizens mobilize against democratic recession. However, parliamentarians are not always credible as democratic defenders to citizens as their defence mi…
When elites defend democracy, do citizens listen? How elites alert citizens to democratic recession
Politics (23 works) · Political science (21 works) · Law (20 works) · Law (18 works) · Democracy (17 works) · Electoral Systems and Political Participation (14 works) · Political economy (13 works) · Economics (12 works) · Sociology (10 works) · Political Conflict and Governance (9 works)