National election studies and macro analysis

Abstract

This paper discusses the contribution of the American National Election Studies (ANES) data to the understanding of macro-level election analysis. The paper reviews the theory of the micro–macro connection and presents two brief examples where ANES data are used to explain macro-level variation in election outcomes. It argues that the ANES — indeed, most election studies — as currently constituted are quite useful for the purposes of explaining election outcomes. However, with proper attention to the requirements of such explanations, they can be made more useful still.