Suchergebnisse

Examines German voter orientations toward chancellor candidates, drawing on survey data gathered on elections since 1961 in a discussion of the nonpersonalization of candidates. Considered first is whether assessments of candidates determine individual votes, focusing on the impact of candidate orientations on the voting behavior of those lacking any long-term party identification. Conditions fostering candidate-centered voting on the part of weak identifiers as well as shifts in supply- & demand-side factors are addressed. Next, a short overview of voter preference development since 1969 is provided, &, following, an approach employed by Wolfgang Jagodzinski & Stefan Kuhnel (1990), the affect of candidate evaluations on electoral choice is assessed. Attention turns to various elements of candidate images & which ones determine a good leader, highlighting survey data from the 1998 elections between Helmut Kohl & Gerhard Schroder. It is concluded that candidate personalities & personal characteristics do not figure too heavily in German voter decisions, as they are mediated by situational factors, eg, strength & direction of partisan affiliations, presence or absence of contentious political issues, & voter evaluations of candidates not running for chancellor. The potential growth of personalization & its utility in describing trends in Germany are contemplated in closing. 4 Tables, 4 Figures, 1 Appendix. J. Zendejas

"Left-Right Orientations and Voting Behavior" published on by Oxford University Press.