Voter Rationality

Question 1

What are the three models of voting?

Answer 1

• sociological model
• party identification model
• rational choice model

Question 2

What is the party identification model?

Answer 2

Suggests that people identify with a party and that makes voting outcomes predictable.
May deviate occasionally but long term commitment to party.

Question 3

What did Pulzer (1967) famously say about British politics?

Answer 3

“Class is the basis of British party politics; all else is embellishment and detail”

-fits with the sociological model

Question 4

What is the sociological model?

Answer 4

Suggests that voters tend to support a party that closely reflects the economic/social position of which they belong.

Question 5

What are the sociological influences?

Answer 5

• class
• occupation
• region/geography
• age
• ethnicity
• gender
• religion

Question 6

What is the general idea behind the rational choice model?

Answer 6

Idea that voters want a government that reflects their self-interest so will vote for the party with the closest policy proposals on issues they consider most salient.

Question 7

What is the Median Voter Theorem, Downs (1957)

Answer 7

The idea that rational, vote seeking parties make appeals to the median voter to maximise the number of votes they receive.
Elections will deliver the policy supported by the median voter.

Question 8

What happens when voter preference shows a double-peak distribution on an area of policy?

Answer 8

Parties diverge on policies creating a key area of policy contention.

Question 9

What happens when voter preference shows a single-peak distribution?

Answer 9

Parties converge on policies.

Question 10

What are some criticisms of the median voter theorem?

Answer 10

• cost benefit analysis (single vote unlikely to make difference so why vote?)
• assumes voters are informed to cast rational vote
• ignores importance of valence issues (Ansolabehere, 2006 - some voters will choose competence over ideology)

Question 11

What are the criticisms of the rational choice model?

Answer 11

• does not consider campaign and media effects
• ignores cognitive bias (perceptions colour decisions and limit rationality)
• ignores party identification model
• does not consider role of sociological factors e.g. class, religion and gender
• assumes that “parties formulate policies in order to win votes rather than win votes in order to formulate policies (Downs, 1957)
• assumes that parties are office-seekers not policy-seekers