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Elections without re-election: authoritarian values and electoral accountability in a single-term Philippine presidential system
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DOI：10.1080/13510347.2026.2655980.png)
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Abstract
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Much is known about how authoritarian leaders consolidate power, yet less is understood about how citizens perceive electoral accountability in systems where presidents cannot seek reelection. The Philippines, with its single six-year presidential term, offers a crucial setting for examining this paradox. This study examines how citizens, especially those with authoritarian predispositions, interpret elections as mechanisms of government responsiveness despite the absence of direct presidential sanctioning. Using nationally representative data from the 2018 and 2021 Asian Barometer Survey, we find that authoritarian-leaning individuals are significantly more likely to believe that elections enhance government responsiveness. To contextualize these attitudes, the study also examines elite dynamics in the 2019 and 2025 Philippine midterm elections. The 2019 midterms showed strong elite consolidation, with Duterte-endorsed candidates dominating the Senate and national contests. By contrast, the 2025 midterms revealed fragmentation, as several Marcos-backed candidates lost while Duterte-aligned figures remained resilient. These outcomes suggest that midterms do not insulate presidents; even without reelection, they can reshape coalition dynamics, constrain legislative manoeuvering, and signal shifts in elite alignment. Elections in single-term presidential systems thus serve dual functions: they reinforce order-oriented meanings valued by authoritarian-leaning citizens while enabling limited accountability through the sanctioning of presidential allies and factions.
Keywords:
Authoritarian values
electoral accountability
government responsiveness
single-term presidency
voter perceptions
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