Download or read book To Vote or Not to Vote written by Andre Blais and published by University of Pittsburgh Pre. This book was released on 2000-08-15 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What makes people decide to vote? In addressing this simple question, Andre Blais examines the factors that increase or decrease turnout at the aggregate, cross-national level and considers what affects people's decision to vote or to abstain. In doing so, Blais assesses the merits and limitations of the rational choice model in explaining voter behavior. The past few decades have witnessed a rise in the popularity of the rational choice model in accounting for voter turnout, and more recently a groundswell of outspoken opposition to rational choice theory. Blais tackles this controversial subject in an engaging and personal way, bringing together the opposing theories and literatures, and offering convincing tests of these different viewpoints. Most important, he handles the discussion in a clear and balanced manner. Using new data sets from many countries, Blais concludes that while rational choice is an important tool—even when it doesn't work—its empirical contribution to understanding why people vote is quite limited. Whether one supports rational choice theory or opposes it, Blais's evenhanded and timely analysis will certainly be of interest, and is well-suited for advanced undergraduate and graduate-level classes.
Download or read book Pathologies of Rational Choice Theory written by Donald Green and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 1994-09-28 with total page 415 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first comprehensive critical evaluation of the use of rational choice theory in political science. Writing in an accessible and nontechnical style, Donald P. Green and Ian Shapiro assess rational choice theory where it is reputed to be most successful: the study of collective action, the behavior of political parties and politicians, and such phenomena as voting cycles and Prisoner's Dilemmas. In their hard-hitting critique, Green and Shapiro demonstrate that the much heralded achievements of rational choice theory are in fact deeply suspect and that fundamental rethinking is needed if rational choice theorists are to contribute to the understanding of politics. In their final chapters, they anticipate and respond to a variety of possible rational choice responses to their arguments, thereby initiating a dialogue that is bound to continue for some time.
Download or read book Voting as a Rational Choice written by Aaron S. Edlin and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For voters with "social" preferences, the expected utility of voting is approximately independent of the size of the electorate, suggesting that rational voter turnouts can be substantial even in large elections. Less important elections are predicted to have lower turnout, but a feedback mechanism keeps turnout at a reasonable level under a wide range of conditions. The main contributions of this paper are: (1) to show how, for an individual with both selfish and social preferences, the social preferences will dominate and make it rational for a typical person to vote even in large elections; (2) to show that rational socially-motivated voting has a feedback mechanism that stabilizes turnout at reasonable levels (e.g., 50% of the electorate); (3) to link the rational social-utility model of voter turnout with survey findings on socially-motivated vote choice.
Download or read book A Behavioral Theory of Elections written by Jonathan Bendor and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2011-02-06 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most theories of elections assume that voters and political actors are fully rational. This title provides a behavioral theory of elections based on the notion that all actors - politicians as well as voters - are only boundedly rational.
Download or read book Rational Choice and Democratic Deliberation written by Guido Pincione and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2006-07-24 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers a comprehensive and sustained critique of theories of deliberative democracy.
Download or read book Information Participation and Choice written by Bernard Grofman and published by University of Michigan Press. This book was released on 1993 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A review of the consequences for political science of Anthony Downs's seminal work.
Download or read book Using Underlying Priorities for Rational Choice Explanations written by Pascal König and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2010-07 with total page 77 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seminar paper from the year 2009 in the subject Politics - Political systems in general and in comparison, grade: 1,0, University of Mannheim, language: English, abstract: This enquiry deals with the shortcomings of rational choice theory in explaining voter turnout as a rational - i.e. efficient in terms of costs and benefits - act. It is argued that intrinsic benefits, i.e. benefits that accrue to the citizen independent of an election outcome, should provide a proper explanatory potential if one can account for different implications of these benefits for different voters. The rationale should hold for benefits in general, though. Underlying coherent priorities in the form of political values (materialism vs. postmaterialism) are used to differentiate voters and to probe for differing impacts of determinants of voter turnout depending on different underlying values. The thesis is that the impacts of these determinants differ for different values. The tested determinants, taken from the literature, are appreciation of democracy, social norms, party identification and material resources. Hypotheses about impacts are formulated on the basis of the theory of political values for every determinant and tested by means of logistic regression employing data from German election studies. Whereas the impacts of social norms and material resources vary by underlying values, the results for appreciation of democracy and party identification remain inclusive.
Download or read book Pathologies of Rational Choice Theory written by Donald Green and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 1994-01-01 with total page 255 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A critical evaluation of the use of rational choice theory in political science. In this text, the authors assess this theory where it is believed to be most useful: the study of collective action, the behaviour of political parties, and phenomena such as voting cycles and prisoners' dilemmas.
Download or read book Conducting Local Union Officer Elections written by and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book A Logic of Expressive Choice written by Alexander A. Schuessler and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2000-10-29 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Alexander Schuessler has done what many deemed impossible: he has wedded rational choice theory and the concerns of social theory and anthropology to explain why people vote. The "paradox of participation"--why individuals cast ballots when they have virtually no effect on electoral outcomes--has long puzzled social scientists. And it has particularly troubled rational choice theorists, who like to describe political activity in terms of incentives. Schuessler's ingenious solution is a "logic of expressive choice." He argues in incentive-based (or "economic") terms that individuals vote not because of how they believe their vote matters in the final tally but rather to express their preferences, allegiances, and thus themselves. Through a comparative history of marketing and campaigning, Schuessler generates a "jukebox model" of participation and shows that expressive choice has become a target for those eliciting mass participation and public support. Political advisers, for example, have learned to target voters' desire to express--to themselves and to others--who they are. Candidates, using tactics such as claiming popularity, invoking lifestyle, using ambiguous campaign themes, and shielding supporters from one another can get out their vote even when it is clear that an election is already lost or won. This important work, the first of its kind, will appeal to anyone seeking to decipher voter choice and turnout, social movements, political identification, collective action, and consumer behavior, including scholars, graduate students, and upper-level undergraduates in political science, economics, sociology, anthropology, and marketing. It will contribute greatly to our understanding and prediction of democratic participation patterns and their consequences.
Download or read book Rationality Democracy and Justice written by Claudio López-Guerra and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2014 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume advances the research agenda of one of the most remarkable political thinkers of our time: Jon Elster. With an impressive list of contributors, it features studies in five topics in political and social theory: rationality and collective action, political and social norms, democracy and constitution making, transitional justice, and the explanation of social behavior. Additionally, this volume includes chapters on the development of Elster's thinking over the past decades. Like Elster's own writings, the essays in this collection are problem-driven, nonideal inquiries of practical relevance. This volume closes with lucid comments by Jon Elster.
Download or read book Rational Choice and Politics written by Stephen Parsons and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2005-03-18 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rational Choice Theory claims to be able to explain how all individuals make not just some of their choices, but all of their choices, all of the time. According to the theory, there is no difference in principle between choosing whether to buy apples rather than bananas or choosing whether to join a political revolution instead of staying at home and watching television. Given these claims to universal applicability, it is perhaps not surprising to find that over the last three or four decades Rational Choice Theory has become increasingly influential as a means of providing explanations in politics. The textbook introduces the premises of Rational Choice Theory and illustrates how this theory can be applied to political studies. The book concludes with an assessment of the usefulness of the model in the light of the problems highlighted. -"Parson's book provides a lucid presentation and a cogent critique of Rational Choice Theory in economics and politics." Professor Steve Pressman, Department of Economics and Finance, Monmouth University, USA
Download or read book A Logic of Expressive Choice written by Alexander A. Schuessler and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2000-10-29 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Alexander Schuessler has done what many deemed impossible: he has wedded rational choice theory and the concerns of social theory and anthropology to explain why people vote. The "paradox of participation"--why individuals cast ballots when they have virtually no effect on electoral outcomes--has long puzzled social scientists. And it has particularly troubled rational choice theorists, who like to describe political activity in terms of incentives. Schuessler's ingenious solution is a "logic of expressive choice." He argues in incentive-based (or "economic") terms that individuals vote not because of how they believe their vote matters in the final tally but rather to express their preferences, allegiances, and thus themselves. Through a comparative history of marketing and campaigning, Schuessler generates a "jukebox model" of participation and shows that expressive choice has become a target for those eliciting mass participation and public support. Political advisers, for example, have learned to target voters' desire to express--to themselves and to others--who they are. Candidates, using tactics such as claiming popularity, invoking lifestyle, using ambiguous campaign themes, and shielding supporters from one another can get out their vote even when it is clear that an election is already lost or won. This important work, the first of its kind, will appeal to anyone seeking to decipher voter choice and turnout, social movements, political identification, collective action, and consumer behavior, including scholars, graduate students, and upper-level undergraduates in political science, economics, sociology, anthropology, and marketing. It will contribute greatly to our understanding and prediction of democratic participation patterns and their consequences.
Download or read book Rational Choice Politics Voting elections and pressure politics written by Torun Andreas Dewan and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 488 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Social Logic of Politics written by Alan S. Zuckerman and published by Temple University Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Re-establishes the connection between social life and political behavior.
Download or read book Voters and Voting written by Jocelyn A J Evans and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2004-01-31 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An accessible textbook that provides an overview of the historical origins and development of voting theory, this guide explores theories of voting and electoral behaviour at a level suitable for college students.
Download or read book Using underlying priorities for rational choice explanations written by Pascal König and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2010-07-16 with total page 39 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seminar paper from the year 2009 in the subject Politics - Political systems in general and in comparison, grade: 1,0, University of Mannheim, language: English, abstract: This enquiry deals with the shortcomings of rational choice theory in explaining voter turnout as a rational - i.e. efficient in terms of costs and benefits - act. It is argued that intrinsic benefits, i.e. benefits that accrue to the citizen independent of an election outcome, should provide a proper explanatory potential if one can account for different implications of these benefits for different voters. The rationale should hold for benefits in general, though. Underlying coherent priorities in the form of political values (materialism vs. postmaterialism) are used to differentiate voters and to probe for differing impacts of determinants of voter turnout depending on different underlying values. The thesis is that the impacts of these determinants differ for different values. The tested determinants, taken from the literature, are appreciation of democracy, social norms, party identification and material resources. Hypotheses about impacts are formulated on the basis of the theory of political values for every determinant and tested by means of logistic regression employing data from German election studies. Whereas the impacts of social norms and material resources vary by underlying values, the results for appreciation of democracy and party identification remain inclusive.
