Degrees of Democracy Government Institutions and the Opinion-Policy Link

A large and growing body of research demonstrates a correspondence between public opinion and policy behavior. Almost all of this research has focused on the US, however. Do similar patterns obtain in other countries? Or is the US unique? This paper represents one step towards answering these questions. We develop a theoretical model implying differences in representation across countries owing to differences in government institutions. Specifically, we argue that (1) public responsiveness to policy change is diminished in federal rather than unitary systems, which in turn dampens policy responsiveness; and (2) policymakers are less responsive in parliamentary systems than in Madisonian presidential systems. We then test these propositions using directly comparable longitudinal measures of public preferences and government spending in the US, UK, and Canada. In the process, we draw conclusions about the success of these countries ’ government institutions, an