The more the merrier? Exploring the relationship between political polarisation, inclusive candidate selection processes and satisfaction with democra

人越多越好？探索政治两极分化、包容性候选人选择过程和对民主的满意度之间的关系尽管在发达民主国家有更具包容性的政党领导人竞选的趋势，但这些改革对选民看法的影响尚不清楚。例如，英国工党2015年降低会费是否改变了选民对更广泛民主的态度？在这项研究中，我将发展和测试党内政治理论，重点是党内民主和更广泛的政治环境之间的关系。我认为，这些竞争对于理解极端候选人和政党领导人的崛起至关重要，而极端候选人和政党领导人的崛起最终导致许多发达民主国家选民对民主的满意度普遍下降。虽然过去的研究发现，对党内民主的看法会改善选民对更广泛的政治制度的看法，但这项研究往往忽略了更广泛的选举环境的影响，以及这种影响是如何影响这种看法的。因此，我认为，政治环境最终会缓和内部规则对选民对民主的看法和满意度的影响。为了检验这一点，我将使用一种混合方法，将跨国定量分析与关于政党变化感知的深入定性证据相结合，并在英格兰和苏格兰进行比较调查实验。这一结果将对党内政治的理论、对民主合法性的看法以及与许多先进民主国家的政治改革相关的持续辩论产生影响。为此，我将向联合王国的主要政党发出简报，不仅概述提高民主满意度的最佳候选人甄选进程，而且还概述关键的背景考虑因素。

The more the merrier? Exploring the relationship between political polarisation, inclusive candidate selection processes and satisfaction with democracyDespite trends towards more inclusive party leadership contests in advanced democracies, the impact of these reforms on voter perception remains unknown. For example, did the British Labour Party's reduction of membership fees in 2015 change voters' attitudes towards wider democracy? In this study, I will develop and test a theory of intra-party politics focused on the relationship between internal party democracy and the wider political environment. I argue that these contests are critical for understanding the rise of extreme candidates and party leaders, which ultimately contributes to a wide-spread decline in voter satisfaction with democracy in numerous advanced democracies. Whilst past research finds that perceptions of democracy within the party improve voter perceptions of the broader political system, this research has tended to overlook the influence of the wider electoral environment and how this effects such perceptions. I thus propose that the political environment ultimately moderates the effect of internal rules on voter perceptions and satisfaction with democracy. To test this, I will use a mixed-methods approach that combines a cross-national quantitative analysis with in-depth qualitative evidence on perceptions of party change and a comparative survey experiment in England and Scotland. The results will hold implications for theories of intra-party politics, perceptions of democratic legitimacy and ongoing debates related to political reforms in numerous advanced democracies. To this end, I will issue a brief to key parties in the United Kingdom outlining not only the optimal candidate selection process to increase democratic satisfaction, but also the key contextual considerations