The Political Behaviour of Temporary Workers

In many European labour markets, temporary employment has become a sizeable phenomenon. We know that temporary contracts come with severe socio-economic disadvantages. But do they also affect political views and behaviour? Do temporary workers have distinct policy preferences? Do they lean towards specific parties? Or do they see themselves as politically excluded and respond with protest behaviour or abstention? It is these vital questions that The Political Behaviour of Temporary Workers addresses. Combining insights from psychology, political science and labour market research, it offers new theories and evidence on the political repercussions of temporary jobs, working with original and existing data to analyse social and labour market policy preferences, voting behaviour and levels of trust in politicians.

Paul Marx is Associate Professor at the Centre for Welfare State Research, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark. His research interests are related to comparative political economy, political sociology, and welfare state research.