Graz political scientist:

Every second election promise is kept

Innsbruck's mayor Georg Willi (Greens) during the election campaign

(Bild: APA/EXPA/JOHANN GRODER)

Before elections, politicians make the most fantastic promises to convince their voters. On average, there are more than 150 promises per party and election program, as an analysis by Graz-based political scientist Katrin Praprotnik has now shown. Around one in two is actually kept.

Together with Robert Thomson from Monash University in Australia, Praprotnik provided insights into the mechanisms behind election promises on Wednesday. The central result: in Austria, more than 150 election promises are made per party and election program. That is more than in an international comparison. Comparable analyses in around a dozen other countries and governments between 1974 and 2016 came to an average of 111 election promises per party and election manifesto

"More than just hot air"
"There is no indication that the number of election promises has increased in recent times," said the political scientist, who works at the University of Graz. She also analyzed whether what was said was actually kept. According to her, this applies to just over half of the demands in the election manifestos. "We can therefore say that election promises are more than just 'hot air', even if the public perception is different (...)." Academics refer to this as an election paradox.

What makes implementation easier
Election promises that aim to maintain the status quo and those that make it into a coalition agreement are more likely to be implemented. It is more difficult with those that promise reform. Economic growth and full legislative periods also make implementation more likely.

The project aims to contribute to a better understanding of mechanisms such as party programs and laws in representative democracies.