Gender, race/ethnicity, political party, socioeconomic means, trust in public institutions, and their impact on voter behavior in the 2020 presidential election

Abstract

Why American voters choose certain candidates over others is one of the more fascinating dynamics within the modern American political system. Indeed, voters' choices reveal more about the health of our democracy than any other indicator one could use to measure such an important institution. Further, while turnout rates and exit polls are used as proxies for the health of the American electorate, voter choice-and what motivates certain voters to vote the way they do-lies at the heart of understanding the factors that lead people to make political choices as they do.This research examined select variables associated with voter behavior and choice documented in the 2020 presidential election results. Select factors, including race/ethnicity, political party affiliation, gender, socioeconomic means, and trust in institutions and their impact on voter choice at the ballot box, were analyzed in the context of our most recent presidential election. Specifically, it was hypothesized that there would be gender, race/ethnicity, political party affiliation, and socioeconomic differences in levels of trust in public institutions and voter choice in the 2020 presidential election and that a higher level of distrust may manifest itself at the ballot box in predictive ways, mainly in higher levels of support for former President Donald J. Trump during the 2020 Presidential election for individuals. Three major findings emerged through the study, the most significant being that race/ethnicity, political party affiliation, gender, socioeconomic means, and trust in institutions predicted voter choice during the 2020 presidential election. The study also revealed that gender, race, income, and party affiliation are significant predictors of distrust in institutions. Furthermore, the study determined that significant relationships existed between race, income, and support for former President D. J. Trump and voter choice during the 2020 presidential election.--Author's abstract