Chapter 9: Information and Electorial Choice

 

Question:

Is there a difference in the voting patterns between the less-informed voter and the well-informed voter, and if so what are they?

 

 

Measurement:

Examined voting patterns and education levels from the 1980 elections

 

 

Results:

Differences in voting style

Less Informed

Well informed

  • High School education
  • Retrospective Voting
  • Referendum on incumbent
  • Current economy and job performance
  • Doesn't judge quality of challenger
  • Party Identification
  • Looks to the past for voting input
  • Collage education
  • Perspective Voting
  • Comparison Of Candidates
  • Comparison of competencies, study Policies and project possible actions
  • Doesn't judge past economies
  • Party Identification
  • Looks to the future for voting input

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    Conclusion:

    The retrospective voter looks at what a candidate has done before, assuming he will continue that path. The prospective vote tries looking forward and predicting the future with each candidate, based on past actions and behaviors of party and policy. "Both involve a bet that the future will look like the past".

    No one is to say which voting strategy is better: retrospective or perspective, but retrospective voting allows uninformed voter to declare their satisfaction with one candidate based on there real experiences but limited knowledge.

     

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