Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-t5pn6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-19T08:29:46.775Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Measuring political protest in Western Europe: assessing cross-national equivalence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 October 2012

Mario Quaranta
Mario Quaranta*
Affiliation:
Istituto Italiano di Scienze Umane, Palazzo Strozzi, Piazza Strozzi, Firenze, Italy
*
E-mail: mario.quaranta@sumitalia.it
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This article tests the cross-national equivalence of the political protest scale, as developed by Barnes and Kaase, in 20 Western European countries using a battery of items included in the fourth wave of the European Values Study. The scale measuring the concept of political protest is widely used, but no evidence of cross-country equivalence has yet been provided in the literature. The article illustrates the concept of political protest, the relationship between concept formation, operationalization, and measurement equivalence, and the possible consequences of a lack of equivalence. It is argued that comparative research may be threatened by a lack of measurement equivalence. The spread of international surveys eases comparative designs, but at the same time enlarges the chances that we compare what is not actually comparable. The article then outlines an empirical strategy to assess the political protest scale's measurement equivalence. To assess cross-country equivalence, Mokken Scale Analysis, a nonparametric scaling method within the family of Item Response Theory models, is used. This has been shown to work better than Confirmatory Factor Analysis when dealing with dichotomous and polytomous items forming ordinal scales. The results show that the cross-country equivalence of the political protest scale depends on the type of measure the scholar wishes to build and use.

Keywords

political protestunconventional participationmeasurement equivalenceWestern EuropeMokken Scale Analysis
Type
Research Article
Information
European Political Science Review , Volume 5 , Issue 3 , November 2013 , pp. 457 - 482
Copyright
Copyright © European Consortium for Political Research 2012 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adcock, R.Collier, D. (2001), ‘Measurement validity: a shared standard for qualitative and quantitative research’, American Political Science Review 95(3): 529–546.Google Scholar
Ariely, G., Davidov, E. (2012). ‘Assessment of measurement equivalence with cross-national and longitudinal surveys in political science’, European Political Science 11(3): 363–377.Google Scholar
Barnes, S.H.Kaase, M. (eds) (1979), Political Action: Mass Participation in Five Western Democracies, Beverly Hills: Sage.Google Scholar
Benson, M.Rochon, T.R. (2004), ‘Interpersonal trust and the magnitude of protest: a micro and macro level approach’, Comparative Political Studies 37(4): 435–457.Google Scholar
Bollen, K.A. (1989), Structural Equations with Latent Variables, New York: John Wiley.Google Scholar
Byrne, B.M. (2008), ‘Testing for multigroup equivalence of a measuring instrument: a walk through the process’, Psicothema 20(4): 872–882.Google Scholar
Collier, D.Gerring, J. (eds) (2008), Concepts and Method in Social Science. The Tradition of Giovanni Sartori, London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Dalton, R.J. (1988), Citizen Politics in Western Democracies. Public Opinion and Political Parties in the United States, Great Britain, West Germany, and France, Chatham: Chatham House.Google Scholar
Dalton, R.J. (2004), Democratic Challenges, Democratic Choices: The Erosion of Political Support in Advanced Industrial Societies, Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Dalton, R.J. (2008), Citizen Politics: Public Opinion and Political Parties in Advanced Industrial Democracies, Chatham: Chatham House.Google Scholar
Dalton, R.J., Van Sickle, A. 2005. ‘The roots of political protest: a contextual analysis of protest behavior’, Presented at the Annual Meeting of the International Studies Association, March 2005, Honolulu, HI.Google Scholar
Dalton, R.J., Van Sickle, A.Weldon, S. (2010), ‘The individual-institutional nexus of protest behaviour’, British Journal of Political Science 40(1): 51–73.Google Scholar
Della Porta, D. (ed.) (2007), The Global Justice Movement. Cross-National and Transnational Perspectives, Boulder-London: Paradigm Publishers.Google Scholar
Della Porta, D., Andretta, M., Mosca, L.Reiter, H. (2006), Globalization from Below. Transnational Activists and Protest Networks, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.Google Scholar
Della Porta, D.Diani, M. (2006), Social Movements: An Introduction, London: Wiley-Blackwell.Google Scholar
European Social Survey (ESS) (2011), European Social Survey Cumulative File, ESS 1–4, Bergen: Norwegian Social Science Data Services.Google Scholar
European Values Study (EVS) (2011), European Values Study 1981–2008, Longitudinal Data File, GESIS Data Archive, Cologne, Germany, ZA4804 Data File Version 1.0.0 (2011-04-30). doi:10.4232/1.4804.Google Scholar
Gelman, A.Hill, J. (2006), Data Analysis Using Regression and Multilevel/Hierarchical Models, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Gerring, J. (1999), ‘What makes a concept good? A criterial framework for understanding concept formation in the social sciences’, Polity 31(3): 357–393.Google Scholar
Goertz, G. (2006), Social Science Concepts: A User's Guide, Princeton: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Guttman, L. (1945), ‘A basis for analyzing test-retest reliability’, Psychometrika 10(4): 255–282.Google Scholar
Horn, J.L.McArdle, J.J. (1992), ‘A practical and theoretical guide to measurement invariance in aging research’, Experimental Aging Research 18(3): 117–144.Google Scholar
Hui, C.H.Triandis, H.C. (1985), ‘Measurement in cross-cultural psychology: a review and comparison of strategies’, Journal of Cross Cultural Psychology 16(2): 131–152.Google Scholar
Inglehart, R. (1990), Culture Shift in Advanced Industrial Society, Princeton: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Inglehart, R. (1997), Modernization and Postmodernization: Cultural, Economic, and Political Change in 43 Societies, Princeton: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Inglehart, R.Welzel, C. (2005), Modernization, Cultural Change and Democracy, New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) (2007), ZA3950: International Social Survey Programme 2004: Citizenship (ISSP 2004), Universitaet zu Koeln: Zentralarchiv fuer Empirische Sozialforschung.Google Scholar
Jackman, S. (2008), ‘Measurement’, in J. Box-Steffensmeier, H.E. Brady and D. Collier (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Political Methodology, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 119–151.Google Scholar
Jacoby, W.G. (1999), ‘Levels of measurement and political research: an optimistic view’, American Journal of Political Science 43(1): 271–301.Google Scholar
Jennings, K.M., Van Deth, J.W., Barnes, S.H., Fuchs, D., Heunks, F.J., Inglehart, R., Kaase, M., Klingemann, H.D.Thomassen, J.J.A. (eds) (1989), Continuities in Political Action: A Longitudinal Study of Political Orientations in Three Western Democracies, Berlin and New York: De Gruyter.Google Scholar
Kaase, M. (1989), ‘Appendix C. The cumulativeness and dimensionality of the participation scales’, in K.M. Jennings, J.W. Van Deth, S.H. Barnes, D. Fuchs, F.J. Heunks, R. Inglehart, M. Kaase, H.-D. Klingemann and J.J.A. Thomassen (eds), Continuities in Political Action: A Longitudinal Study of Political Orientations in Three Western Democracies, Berlin and New York: De Gruyter, pp. 393–396.Google Scholar
Kaase, M.Marsh, A. (1979a), ‘Political action. A theoretical perspective’, in S.H. Barnes and M. Kaase (eds), Political Action: Mass Participation in Five Western Democracies, Beverly Hills: Sage, pp. 27–56.Google Scholar
Kaase, M.Marsh, A. (1979b), ‘Political action repertory. Changes over time and a new typology’, in S.H. Barnes and M. Kaase (eds), Political Action: Mass Participation in Five Western Democracies, Beverly Hills: Sage, pp. 137–166.Google Scholar
Kerman, J.Gelman, A. (2007), ‘Manipulating and summarizing posterior simulation using random variable objects’, Statistics and Computing 17(3): 235–244.Google Scholar
King, G., Keohane, R.O.Verba, S. (1994), Designing Social Inquiry: Scientific Inference in Qualitative Research, Princeton: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
King, G., Murray, C.J.L., Salomon, J.A.Tandon, A. (2004), ‘Enhancing the validity and cross-cultural comparability of measurement in survey research’, American Political Science Review 98(1): 191–207.Google Scholar
King, G., Honacker, J., Anne, J.Kenneth, S. (2001), ‘Analyzing incomplete political science data: an alternative algorithm for multiple imputation’, American Political Science Review 95(1): 49–69.Google Scholar
Mair, P. (2008), ‘Concepts and concepts formation’, in D. Della Porta and M. Keating (eds), Approaches and Methodologies in the Social Sciences, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 177–197.Google Scholar
Marsh, A.Kaase, M. (1979), ‘Measuring political action’, in S.H. Barnes and M. Kaase (eds), Political Action: Mass Participation in Five Western Democracies, Beverly Hills: Sage, pp. 57–97.Google Scholar
Meyer, D.S.Tarrow, S. (1998), ‘A movement society: contentious politics for a new century’, in D.S. Meyer and S. Tarrow (eds), The Social Movement Society: Contentious Politics for a New Century, Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, pp. 1–28.Google Scholar
Milbrath, L.W. (1965), Political Participation: How and Why Do People Get Involved in Politics, Chicago: Rand McNally College Publishing Company.Google Scholar
Mokken, R.J. (1971), A Theory and Procedure of Scale Analysis, Berlin: De Gruyter.Google Scholar
Morales, L. (2009), Joining Political Organizations, Colchester: ECPR Press.Google Scholar
Norris, P. (2002), Democratic Phoenix: Reinventing Political Activism, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Norris, P. (2009), ‘The globalization of comparative public opinion research’, in T. Landman and N. Robinson (eds), The Sage Handbook of Comparative Politics, London: Sage, pp. 522–540.Google Scholar
Parry, G., Moyser, G.Day, N. (1992), Political Participation and Democracy in Britain, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Raghunathan, T.E., Lepkowski, J.M., Van Hoewyk, J.Solenberger, P. (2001), ‘A multivariate technique for multiply imputing missing values using a sequence of regression models’, Survey Methodology 27(1): 85–95.Google Scholar
Rubin, D.B. (1987), Multiple Imputation for Nonresponse in Surveys, New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Rucht, D. (2007), ‘The spread of protest politics’, in R.J. Dalton and H.-D. Klingemann (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Political Behavior, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 708–723.Google Scholar
Sartori, G. (1970), ‘Concept misformation in comparative politics’, American Political Science Review 64(4): 1033–1053.Google Scholar
Sartori, G. (1984), ‘Guidelines for concept analysis’, in G. Sartori (ed.), Social Science Concepts: A Systematic Analysis, Beverly Hills: Sage, pp. 15–85.Google Scholar
Sartori, G., Riggs, F., Teune, H. (eds) (1975), The Tower of Babel, University of Pittsburgh: International Studies Association, Occasional Paper no. 6.Google Scholar
Sijtsma, K. (1998), ‘Methodology review: Non-parametric IRT approaches to the analysis of dichotomous item scores’, Applied Pshychological Measurement 22(1): 3–31.Google Scholar
Sijtsma, K.Molenaar, I.W. (1987), ‘Reliability of test scores in nonparametric item response theory’, Psychometrika 52(1): 79–97.Google Scholar
Sijtsma, K.Molenaar, I.W. (2002), Introduction to Nonparametric Item Response Theory, Thousand Oaks: Sage.Google Scholar
Sijtsma, K., Debets, P.Molenaar, I.W. (1990), ‘Mokken Scale Analysis for polychotomous items: theory, a computer program and an empirical application’, Quality and Quantity 24(2): 173–188.Google Scholar
Sijtsma, K., Meijer, R.R.Van der Ark, A.L. (2011), ‘Mokken Scale Analysis as time goes by: an update for scaling practitioners’, Personality and Individual Differences 50(1): 31–37.Google Scholar
Steenbergen, M.R.Jones, B.S. (2002), ‘Modeling multilevel data structures’, American Journal of Political Science 46(1): 218–237.Google Scholar
Steenkamp, J.-B.E.M.Baumgartner, H. (1998), ‘Assessing measurement invariance in cross-national consumer research’, Journal of Consumer Research 25(1): 78–107.Google Scholar
Stegmuller, D. (2011), ‘Apples and oranges? The problem of equivalence in comparative research’, Political Analysis 19(4): 471–487.Google Scholar
Teorell, J., Torcal, M.Montero, J.R. (2007), ‘Political participation. Mapping the terrain’, in J.W. Van Deth, J.R. Montero and A. Westholm (eds.), Citizenship and Involvement in European Democracies. A Comparative Analysis, London and New York: Routledge, pp. 334–357.Google Scholar
Tilly, C.Tarrow, S. (2006), Contentious Politics, Lanham: Paragon Press.Google Scholar
Van de Vijver, F.J.R.Tanzer, N.K. (2004), ‘Bias and equivalence in cross-cultural assessment: an overview’, European Review of Applied Psychology 54(2): 119–135.Google Scholar
Van der Ark, L.A. (2007), ‘Mokken Scale Analysis in R’, Journal of Statistical Software 20(11): 1–19.Google Scholar
Van der Meer, T.W.G., Grotenhuis, M.T.Scheepers, P.L.H. (2009), ‘Three types of voluntary associations in comparative perspective: the importance of studying associational involvement through a typology of associations in 21 European countries’, Journal of Civil Society 5(3): 227–241.Google Scholar
Van Deth, J.W. (1986), ‘A note on measuring political participation in comparative research’, Quality and Quantity 20(2): 261–272.Google Scholar
Van Deth, J.W. (ed.) (1998a), Comparative Politics: The Problem of Equivalence, London and New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Van Deth, J.W. (1998b), ‘Equivalence in comparative research’, in J.W. Van Deth (ed.), Comparative Politics: The Problem of Equivalence, London and New York: Routledge, pp. 1–19.Google Scholar
Van Deth, J.W., Montero, J.R.Westholm, A. (eds) (2007), Citizenship and Involvement in European Democracies. A Comparative Analysis, London and New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Van Schuur, W.H. (2003), ‘Mokken Scale Analysis: between the Guttman Scale and parametric Item Response Theory’, Political Analysis 11(2): 139–163.Google Scholar
Vandenberg, R.J.Lance, C.E. (2000), ‘A review and synthesis of the measurement invariance literature: suggestions, practices, and recommendations for organizational research’, Organizational Research Methods 3(1): 4–70.Google Scholar
Verba, S.Nie, N.H. (1972), Participation in America: Political Democracy and Social Equality, New York: Harper and Row.Google Scholar
Welzel, C.Deutsch, F. (2012), ‘Emancipative values and non-violent protest: the importance of ‘ecological’ effects’, British Journal of Political Science 42(2): 465–479.Google Scholar