Voter Behavior in American Presidential Elections
Did you vote in the last presidential election? If so, who did you vote for and why? There are many factors that influence voters in presidential elections. Before we get into the different kinds of factors, let's observe what voting behavior is.
The study of voter behavior is the examination of why people voted the way they did. A lot of Americans are reported to following news about national politics "very closely", but many voters reportedly do not pay attention to political issues. So, for many voters, they use other factors to decide who they will vote for. These factors include background, voter party identification, and the voter's view of the incumbent's previous performance. …show more content…
Kennedy was poised to become our nation's first elected Catholic president. He won, with nearly 78% of Catholic voters casting their votes for Kennedy.
Party Identification
Now let's take a look at the influence of a voter's party. A voter's party identification directly influences that voter's decision. party identification means the political party with which an individual identifies. Party identification is typically determined by the political party that an individual most commonly supports, by voting or other means.Notably, close to 90% of voters affiliated with a political party vote for that party's candidate in presidential elections.
American voters tend to learn and adopt whichever party affiliation most influenced their childhoods. Those raised in a family of Democrats usually identify themselves as politically liberal, while those raised in a family of Republicans usually identify themselves as politically conservative.
However, that is not always the case. The number of voters identifying themselves as 'Independent' is on the rise, though 89% of those voters claim to lean toward a particular political party. Note that these Independents are almost as likely to support a political party's candidate as those voters who openly affiliate themselves with that …show more content…
Though popularly thought to be the most influential factor, voters rarely make voting decisions based on specific political issues.
Political issues are situations or matters related to politics or policy choices. In a modern campaign, this might include issues like the economy, gay marriage or gun control. Voters typically make initial voting decisions based on the previously mentioned factors, then sometimes narrow their choices based on current political issues. Even those voters who claim to be interested in policy issues usually vote along party lines. To these voters, specific political issues are of secondary importance.
During the campaign season, candidates often adjust and publicize positions they hope will be the most appealing to voters. A politician's or political party's campaign position on political issues is known as a platform. For example, in the 2012 election, Obama's campaign slogan was 'Forward.' His platform was to move the country forward on political issues, including education, healthcare, jobs and energy
Did you vote in the last presidential election? If so, who did you vote for and why? There are many factors that influence voters in presidential elections. Before we get into the different kinds of factors, let's observe what voting behavior is.
The study of voter behavior is the examination of why people voted the way they did. A lot of Americans are reported to following news about national politics "very closely", but many voters reportedly do not pay attention to political issues. So, for many voters, they use other factors to decide who they will vote for. These factors include background, voter party identification, and the voter's view of the incumbent's previous performance. …show more content…
Kennedy was poised to become our nation's first elected Catholic president. He won, with nearly 78% of Catholic voters casting their votes for Kennedy.
Party Identification
Now let's take a look at the influence of a voter's party. A voter's party identification directly influences that voter's decision. party identification means the political party with which an individual identifies. Party identification is typically determined by the political party that an individual most commonly supports, by voting or other means.Notably, close to 90% of voters affiliated with a political party vote for that party's candidate in presidential elections.
American voters tend to learn and adopt whichever party affiliation most influenced their childhoods. Those raised in a family of Democrats usually identify themselves as politically liberal, while those raised in a family of Republicans usually identify themselves as politically conservative.
However, that is not always the case. The number of voters identifying themselves as 'Independent' is on the rise, though 89% of those voters claim to lean toward a particular political party. Note that these Independents are almost as likely to support a political party's candidate as those voters who openly affiliate themselves with that …show more content…
Though popularly thought to be the most influential factor, voters rarely make voting decisions based on specific political issues.
Political issues are situations or matters related to politics or policy choices. In a modern campaign, this might include issues like the economy, gay marriage or gun control. Voters typically make initial voting decisions based on the previously mentioned factors, then sometimes narrow their choices based on current political issues. Even those voters who claim to be interested in policy issues usually vote along party lines. To these voters, specific political issues are of secondary importance.
During the campaign season, candidates often adjust and publicize positions they hope will be the most appealing to voters. A politician's or political party's campaign position on political issues is known as a platform. For example, in the 2012 election, Obama's campaign slogan was 'Forward.' His platform was to move the country forward on political issues, including education, healthcare, jobs and energy