Suchergebnisse

DOES ECONOMIC ADVERSITY AFFECT WHETHER PEOPLE VOTE? DATA FROM THE NOVEMBER 1974 CURRENT POPULATION SURVEY ARE USED TO ESTIMATE THE EFFECT THAT UNEMPLOYMENT, POVERTY, AND A DECLINE IN FINANCIAL WELL-BEING HAVE ON VOTER TURNOUT. THESE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL FINDINGS ARE CORROBORATED WITH AGGREGATE TIME-SERIES DATA FROM PRESIDENTIAL AND MIDTERM ELECTIONS SINCE 1896.

THIS RESEARCH EXAMINES THE EFFECTS OF ELECTION CALENDARS AND BALLOT FORMS ON VOTER TURNOUT. THE BALLOT ATTRACTIVENESS HYPOTHESIS PREDICTS THAT CONCURRENT SENATORIAL AND GUBERNATORIAL RACES ON A PRESIDENTIAL-YEAR BALLOT INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD THAT CITIZENS WILL VOTE. THE EVIDENCE IN 1980 IS THAT THIS HYPOTHESIS IS TRUE WITH RESPECT TO GUBERNATORIAL ELECTIONS. THE ELECTION FREQUENCY HYPOTHESIS PREDICTS THAT THE MORE FREQUENTLY ELECTIONS ARE SCHEDULED, THE LESS LIKELY IT IS THAT CITIZENS WILL VOTE IN ANY OF THEM. PRESIDENTIAL AND STATE PRIMARIES ARE A MAJOR SOURCE OF FREQUENT ELECTIONS. IN 1980, PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES, IN PARTICULAR THOSE INSTITUTED SINCE 1968, DID DEPRESS TURNOUT. RUNOFF PRIMARIES DEPRESSED TURNOUT AS WELL. STATE PRIMARIES HELD SEPARATELY FROM PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES DID NOT DEPRESS TURNOUT BY AN ADDITIONAL SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT. THESE FINDINGS ARE BASED ON VALIDATED TURNOUT IN THE 1980 CPS ELECTION STUDY.

I place national turnout rates in historical perspective and investigate what state turnout rates may tell us about what factors are related to higher levels of voter participation. In midterm elections compared to presidential election, voter turnout is lower among all groups, but more so for young people. I discuss the implications of younger citizens' disengagement in midterm elections in light of an increasing gap in support for the political parties' candidates among the young and the old. Adapted from the source document.