Controversies in the Voting Behavior of United States Citizens
Controversies in Voting Behavior
Ch-1: The Study of Voting and Elections
*According to a view: Elections allow citizens to choose the government, and they also restrain political leaders who behave in a way that maximizes their chances of reelection. Elections are means of linking public attitudes with governmental policy. Electing a government is a way of legitimizing its authority. They provide a peaceful means for political change, while permitting individuals and groups to resolve their conflicting needs peacefully. Voters choose intelligently among the candidates. Although no one would argue that all voters are well informed, this view claims voters as a whole make careful and informed choice.
*An opposite view: Elections are just symbolic in character. They are a secular ritual of democracy, and voting makes citizens consider themselves participants in the nation’s governance. Voters feel they have fulfilled their civic duty by voting. Voters do not necessarily make intelligent, informed decisions. Elections are effective instruments of popular control. They don’t necessarily affect the course of government policies.
*In terms of policy consequences or leadership choices, elections retain their importance in democracies. They make a difference, at least in the short run. Voters to some degree make choices on the basis of this difference.
Methodology:
*Modern voting studies rely heavily on survey research. Most important in conducting a survey is the way in which the sample is selected. The best scientific sampling procedures give everyone in the population an equal probability of being part of the sample. Probability theory can then be used to estimate how close results for the sample are to those for the population of interest.
*The validity of a survey depends on the wording of the questions that are asked, and for this task mathematical principles are less of help.
*Experiments are increasingly being used in voting studies.
*Surveys and
Ch-1: The Study of Voting and Elections
*According to a view: Elections allow citizens to choose the government, and they also restrain political leaders who behave in a way that maximizes their chances of reelection. Elections are means of linking public attitudes with governmental policy. Electing a government is a way of legitimizing its authority. They provide a peaceful means for political change, while permitting individuals and groups to resolve their conflicting needs peacefully. Voters choose intelligently among the candidates. Although no one would argue that all voters are well informed, this view claims voters as a whole make careful and informed choice.
*An opposite view: Elections are just symbolic in character. They are a secular ritual of democracy, and voting makes citizens consider themselves participants in the nation’s governance. Voters feel they have fulfilled their civic duty by voting. Voters do not necessarily make intelligent, informed decisions. Elections are effective instruments of popular control. They don’t necessarily affect the course of government policies.
*In terms of policy consequences or leadership choices, elections retain their importance in democracies. They make a difference, at least in the short run. Voters to some degree make choices on the basis of this difference.
Methodology:
*Modern voting studies rely heavily on survey research. Most important in conducting a survey is the way in which the sample is selected. The best scientific sampling procedures give everyone in the population an equal probability of being part of the sample. Probability theory can then be used to estimate how close results for the sample are to those for the population of interest.
*The validity of a survey depends on the wording of the questions that are asked, and for this task mathematical principles are less of help.
*Experiments are increasingly being used in voting studies.
*Surveys and