Suchergebnisse

The argument is presented for defining party identification by the root question, "Generally speaking, do you usually think of yourself as a Republican, a Democrat, an independent, or what?" With this definitional base, the partisan balance between Democrats and Republicans between 1952 and 1980 shows no evidence of realignment outside the South, belying the implications of the Markus-Converse and Fiorina analyses that suggest volatility in response to short-term influences. It also appears that the correlation between party identification and voter choices for president are very constant over time in the South as well as outside the South. Party line voting by party identifiers varies by region and party but did not decrease between 1952 and 1988.

PARTY IDENTIFICATION SHOULD BE DEFINED BY THE ROOT QUESTION: "GENERALLY SPEAKING, DO YOU USUALLY THINK OF YOURSELF AS A REPUBLICAN, A DEMOCRAT, AN INDEPENDENT, OR WHAT?" WITH THIS DEFINITIONAL BASE, THE PARTISAN BALANCE BETWEEN DEMOCRATICS AND REPUBLICANS FROM 1952 TO 1980 SHOWS NO EVIDENCE OF REALIGNMENT OUTSIDE THE SOUTH, BELYING THE IMPLICATIONS OF MARKUS-CONVERSE AND FIORINA'S ANALYSES THAT SUGGEST VOLATILITY IN RESPONSE TO SHORT-TERM INFLUENCES. IT ALSO APPEARS THAT THE CORRELATION BETWEEN PARTY IDENTIFICATION AND VOTER CHOICES FOR PRESIDENT ARE VERY CONSTANT OVER TIME IN THE SOUTH AS WELL AS OUTSIDE THE SOUTH. PARTY LINE VOTING BY PARTY IDENTIFIERS VARIED BY REGION AND PARTY BUT DID NOT DECREASE BETWEEN 1952 AND 1988.

THE DESIGNERS OF EACH NEW NATIONAL ELECTION STUDIES (NES) SURVEY ARE BOMBARDED BY A MULTITUDE OF CLAIMS BASED ON THEORETICAL DEVELOPMENTS, IMPROVEMENTS IN INSTRUMENTATION, CHANGES IN THE ELECTORAL SETTING, AND THE EMERGENCE OF NEW CANDIDATES PROMOTING FRESH ISSUES. IN THE FACE OF ALL THESE CHANGES, PERFECT CONTINUITY IN THE DETAILS OF THE NES COLLECTIONS IS NEITHER REALISTIC NOR DESIRABLE.

Partial contents: Recent changes in party loyalty in the US electorate; Partisanship and ideology; Party realignment and policy preferences; Ideology and economic outlook; Presidential leadership and changes in party identification.

Large-scale complex research project designs are providing a new impetus to the elimination of subfield boundaries within political science. Major projects are taking advantage of the methodology and technology of contemporary social research to include comparisons among institutions, across cultural boundaries, and extending through time. As a consequence, traditionally narrow field and subfield concentrations on segments of the political process are giving way to intellectual interests that bring together hitherto separate concerns. The full potential for discipline-unifying research will, however, not be realized until there is a strengthening of the organizational infrastructures for research, a broadening of training in research design and administration, and an increase in funding for large-scale projects. The execution and subsequent intellectual exploitation of large research projects will carry additional problems that will be solved only with substantial changes in the workways of the political scientist, but those problems are greatly outweighed by the positive contribution that such research will make to the future of the discipline.

Undue emphasis on the decline of voter turnout in national elections & its interpretation as indicative of political malaise are likely to make for erroneous understanding of US democracy. Statistical evidence from studies of the national electorate conducted between 1952 & 1978 shows that the explanation for declining turnout is not to be found in commensurate diminution in political interest or involvement, or in a decreasing sense of civic duty, feeling of political efficacy, or trust in government. Where patterns of change have coincided, further analysis indicates an absence of possible cause-&-effect relationships. The decline has been chiefly limited to those population sectors characterized by lack of interest or involvement in national partisan politics. A projection of likely developments in political participation, including turnout, in future presidential elections is presented. 10 Tables, 1 Figure. HA.