A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
The political effects of rural school closures – Evidence from Sweden
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1974-5654
Abstract In times of economic hardship, local governments often resort to school closures. These are often directed towards struggling rural communities, already experiencing substantial depopulation. The affected communities often react with fierce protests against responsible politicians. However, the political effects of school closures have mostly been overlooked in previous research. By using a novel geocoded dataset on all rural school closures in Sweden between 2013 and 2020, this study explores their political ramifications. The results show that school closures decrease the trust in municipal politicians and have negative effects on the support for the incumbent, an effect that is most pronounced for left-leaning parties. This study contributes to the literature on rural school closures and welfare retrenchments and expands previous research on social decommissioning in rural areas to include educational policies.
Highlights The closure of rural schools decrease support for the incumbent politicians among the affected population. School closures impact incumbent support differently based on ideology; left-wing incumbents generally experience greater decline in support than right-wing incumbents. In some cases, school closures may contribute to an increase in support for radical right-wing parties. Trust in municipal politicians is lower among the affected population
The political effects of rural school closures – Evidence from Sweden
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1974-5654
Abstract In times of economic hardship, local governments often resort to school closures. These are often directed towards struggling rural communities, already experiencing substantial depopulation. The affected communities often react with fierce protests against responsible politicians. However, the political effects of school closures have mostly been overlooked in previous research. By using a novel geocoded dataset on all rural school closures in Sweden between 2013 and 2020, this study explores their political ramifications. The results show that school closures decrease the trust in municipal politicians and have negative effects on the support for the incumbent, an effect that is most pronounced for left-leaning parties. This study contributes to the literature on rural school closures and welfare retrenchments and expands previous research on social decommissioning in rural areas to include educational policies.
Highlights The closure of rural schools decrease support for the incumbent politicians among the affected population. School closures impact incumbent support differently based on ideology; left-wing incumbents generally experience greater decline in support than right-wing incumbents. In some cases, school closures may contribute to an increase in support for radical right-wing parties. Trust in municipal politicians is lower among the affected population
The political effects of rural school closures – Evidence from Sweden
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1974-5654
Abstract In times of economic hardship, local governments often resort to school closures. These are often directed towards struggling rural communities, already experiencing substantial depopulation. The affected communities often react with fierce protests against responsible politicians. However, the political effects of school closures have mostly been overlooked in previous research. By using a novel geocoded dataset on all rural school closures in Sweden between 2013 and 2020, this study explores their political ramifications. The results show that school closures decrease the trust in municipal politicians and have negative effects on the support for the incumbent, an effect that is most pronounced for left-leaning parties. This study contributes to the literature on rural school closures and welfare retrenchments and expands previous research on social decommissioning in rural areas to include educational policies.
Highlights The closure of rural schools decrease support for the incumbent politicians among the affected population. School closures impact incumbent support differently based on ideology; left-wing incumbents generally experience greater decline in support than right-wing incumbents. In some cases, school closures may contribute to an increase in support for radical right-wing parties. Trust in municipal politicians is lower among the affected population
The political effects of rural school closures – Evidence from Sweden
Isaksson, Zeth (author)
Journal of Rural Studies ; 100
2023-03-27
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
Do rural school closures lead to local population decline?
| Elsevier | 2021
| Elsevier | 2024