Referendums as extended arms of the government: Evidence from an illiberal regime

Public support for referendums has been analysed extensively in established democracies, but the topic is investigated less in illiberal settings. This article aims to explain why citizens in an illiberal country (Hungary) support referendums. We argue that in such political regimes, referendums may serve as extended arms of the illiberal government rather than as providing people with direct access to decision-making. Our study uses individual-level data from a survey conducted in May 2022 on a national representative sample. The evidence indicates that those citizens in favour of referendums are characterized by anti-democratic attitudes and support for the initiator.