Independent Swing Voters Analysis

Describing what an independent swing voter is must be explored before any provable thesis can be made. Among political scientist this has been attempted by without achieving any common definition or common metrics (Shaw 2008, 75). Nevertheless, generalizing a consensus of collective thoughts it can be narrowed down to workable definition. William G. Mayer wrote that few studies or clear definition of independent swing voters even exists, but no lack of using either term “independent” or “swing voters” together or separately does (Mayer 2008, 1). Mayer continues the attempt to define them as, “a voter that will vote for either party” (Mayer 2008, 1). The post-Vietnam deterioration of both parties leaves a segment of voters unwilling to identify
with the Democratic or Republican Party. In The Myth of Independents, Keith Bruce reviewed a Michigan study panel taking of two different time spans and found a significant decline in party identification. Bruce contributes this as a contemporary phenomenon only. The Michigan panel studied found party identification was less significant than positions of specific issues at the time (Bruce Keith 1992, 84). The latter time span was 1972 through 1976. There were plenty of social and economic issues to draw preferences to anyway. So, the decline in party identification significance is quite plausible. The independent swing voter’s lack of allegiance or indecisiveness continues right up to the Election Day. Often, independent voters dislike both parties and are not actively analyzing a fair conclusion (Mayer 2008, 1). The casting of doubt on Independents has roots as far back as post World War II. Back as far as 1954, Berlson, Lazarsfeld and