Politics in the Supermarket: Political Consumerism as a Form of Political Participation

TLDR

Consumer choices driven by political or ethical motives have long been viewed as politically significant, yet systematic survey research on political consumerism remains scarce. The study seeks to determine whether political consumerism constitutes a consistent, measurable behavior that can be systematically studied. Using a pilot survey of 1,015 students from Canada, Belgium, and Sweden, the authors built a political consumerism index that integrates attitudinal, behavioral, and frequency data. The analysis reveals that political consumerism is mainly practiced by those distrustful of institutions but who trust fellow citizens, are heavily involved in checkbook organizations, and score high on political efficacy and post‑materialism, suggesting it should be included in future participation surveys.

Abstract

Both anecdotal and case-study evidence have long suggested that consumer behavior such as the buying or boycotting of products and services for political and ethical reasons can take on political significance. Despite recent claims that such behavior has become more widespread in recent years, political consumerism has not been studied systematically in survey research on political participation. Through the use of a pilot survey conducted among 1015 Canadian, Belgian, and Swedish students, we ascertain whether political consumerism is a sufficiently consistent behavioral pattern to be measured and studied meaningfully. The data from this pilot survey allow us to build a “political consumerism index” incorporating attitudinal, behavioral, and frequency measurements. Our analysis of this cross-national student sample suggests that political consumerism is primarily a tool of those who are distrustful of political institutions. However, political consumers have more trust in other citizens, and they are disproportionately involved in checkbook organizations. They also tend to score highly on measures of political efficacy and post-materialism. We strongly suggest including measurements of political consumerism together with other emerging forms of activism in future population surveys on political participation.