Abstract
Political science has extensively studied citizens' issue salience, a core concept in public opinion. But one fundamental determinant of such salience remains overlooked: citizens' personal experiences. This project addresses a critical gap: despite a growing scholarly emphasis on issue salience, no systematic framework exists on the role of personal experiences. This omission is striking, given that salience determines not only voter behaviour but also political agendas. This project redefines how we understand issue salience, proposing that personal experiences—direct and tangible encounters with political issues—are an essential determinant. The project empirically tests this claim through a comparative analysis of three issues—climate change, immigration, and unemployment—in two contrasting regions: Sicily and Flanders. This allows for a unique examination of a context with many personal experiences (Sicily) versus a context with few personal experiences (Flanders). Using a mixed-methods approach—focus groups and surveys—this project: (1) Develops a typology of personal experiences, distinguishing between first-hand versus second-hand experiences, positive versus negative experiences, visible and directly relevant experiences. (2) Examines whether and how personal experiences influence the salience of climate change, immigration, and unemployment. (3) Investigates how personal experiences moderate the effects of media agenda-setting and party cues on issue salience.
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