stemgeving

Stemgeving is a term used in political science and public administration to describe the environment and conditions surrounding the act of voting. It encompasses physical, informational, social, and institutional factors that can influence how people vote and whether they participate in elections. The concept focuses on the context in which a vote is cast, rather than on individual voter preferences alone.

The scope of stemgeving includes several components. The physical environment covers polling place accessibility, opening hours, wait times, ballot design, and voting technology. The informational environment involves media coverage, political advertising, and the availability of reliable information about candidates and issues. The social environment includes family, peers, community norms, and mobilization by parties or civic groups. The institutional environment comprises electoral rules, registration processes, language accessibility, help for voters with disabilities, and any mechanisms that facilitate or hinder casting a ballot.

In research, stemgeving is studied through experiments, surveys, and administrative data to assess how changes in the voting environment affect turnout, vote choice, or confidence in the electoral process. It is typically considered alongside stemgedrag (voting behavior) and broader discussions of electoral systems. Critics note that the concept can be broad and difficult to isolate causally, since environmental factors often intertwine with individual predispositions.

Etymology-wise, stemgeving combines stem (vote) and omgeving (environment), reflecting its focus on the context in which voting occurs.