Voting Decision-Making Revisited from a Consumer Behavior Perspective: The Effect of Usage and the Empty Pot Factor in Turkey

İngilizce (OpenAlex)

This empirical investigation examines the intricate interrelationships between consumer behavior utilization patterns and the multifaceted determinants of electoral decision-making. Through the implementation of a comprehensive web-based survey instrument, quantitative data were garnered from a sample of 495 Turkish citizens in 2018. Initial findings revealed that Justice and Development Party (JDP) constituents demonstrated markedly elevated scores across multiple variables compared to opposition supporters and non-participants, suggesting a robust likelihood of continued electoral support. Nevertheless, subsequent years witnessed a significant realignment of the electorate, with a substantial migration of voters from the JDP to opposition parties. This electoral transformation is consistent with the historical correlation between macroeconomic conditions and voting behavior in Turkey, as eloquently articulated by former Prime Minister Süleyman Demirel’s prescient observation that “there is no government that an empty pot cannot overthrow.” This shift underscores the enduring validity of the “empty pot” thesis in Turkish electoral dynamics, wherein economic hardship serves as a catalyst for political transformation.