Voting Decisions Research Articles

The Role of Facebook in Shaping Voting Behavior of Youth: Perspective of a Developing Country

This paper explores Facebook’s role in shaping the political perception of youth during the 2018 general elections in Pakistan. It also gauges the ideological standpoint of youth in Pakistan that influences their voting decisions. An online campaign has become an indispensable source for politicians to influence the masses without the constraints of distance and time. It is a quantitative study based on a questionnaire survey of young Pakistani voters. Findings show that Facebook has presumed the role of an instigator in shaping the voting behavior of educated youth. Respondents perceived Facebook as biased while expressing views and assisted political entities in manipulating the data to increase their vote bank. Though the majority of them haven’t experienced fake news so either they are not conscious or they trust blindly the information. Furthermore, respondents’ cognitive abilities are not obstructed by politicians using Facebook, instead, friends and family network seems more persuasive in determining voters’ choice. Results manifest that ideological standpoint impacts voters’ decisions substantially. There is no statistical difference in the voting behavior of respondents based on gender and/or age. The individuality of this study is that it focuses on the medium of communication between politicians and youth instead of emphasizing the social cleavages and their impact on voters’ decisions, which Pakistani scholars largely study. This study will prompt the field of psephology in Pakistan, which is largely ignored, and help scholars to move out of the domain of identity politics.

Sincere, Strategic, or Something Else? The Impact of Ranked-Choice Voting on Voter Decision Making Processes

The academic debate on how voters decide which candidates to support often centers on whether they prioritize their personal preferences or consider who can beat the opposing candidate. American research on voting behavior has largely focused on first-past-the-post (FPTP) elections. However, considering jurisdictions are adopting new electoral systems such as ranked-choice voting (RCV) this leads to several questions about the impact of system adoption on voter decision-making. Particularly, does the voter decision-making process differ depending on the system used? To investigate the impact of RCV on voter decision-making across electoral systems we conducted a survey experiment in a federal senate election. Our findings indicate that in comparison to FPTP elections, RCV elections may lead to decreases in both sincere and strategic voting. Instead, RCV appears to increase voter uncertainty around how to decide which candidates to support and leads to voters who appear to be neither sincere nor strategic.

Party fragmentation, political predispositions, and delayed voting decisions

Party fragmentation, political predispositions, and delayed voting decisions

Diffuse Support, Partisanship, and the Electoral Relevance of the Supreme Court

Abstract Despite the Supreme Court’s lack of direct electoral accountability, voters may factor its outputs into their voting decisions because elected representatives can affect the Court’s powers and composition. In this paper, we uncover an ironic predicament that faces candidates running on reforming this institution. Citizens who possess higher levels of diffuse support for the Court are more likely to rank it as an important factor in their voting logic. But because this diffuse support has sorted along partisan lines, candidate messaging about reform may not motivate partisans who have lost support for the Court because they view it as less important than other pressing issues. Thus, although Democrats are sympathetic to reform, Democratic candidates may have weak incentives to promote reform given low levels of diffuse support among their constituents. This dynamic mitigates against the possibility of a public or congressional backlash against the Court, preserving the status quo.

Multi-Dimensional Analysis of Policies, Sentiments, and Public Perceptions of 2024 Indonesian Presidential Candidates' Environmental Commitment

In light of the escalating environmental issues faced by Indonesia, the primary objective of this study was to evaluate the level of dedication exhibited by the prominent 2024 presidential contenders, namely Ganjar Pranowo, Prabowo Subianto, and Anies Baswedan, towards the preservation of the environment and conservation of rivers. Utilizing a multi-faceted technique that incorporates scoring system and sentiment analysis, the research examined the extent of policy comprehensiveness, previous initiatives, sentiments, and track records of the subjects under investigation. The findings highlight the strong dedication exhibited by Ganjar Pranowo and Anies Baswedan, while suggesting that Prabowo Subianto's commitment may benefit from additional elucidation and policy refinement. The results, in line with previous studies, provide significant insights for voters and stakeholders in making well-informed choices for the upcoming election. Recognizing the inherent constraints of this study, the present research underscores the imperative of further exploration pertaining to the candidates' stances on these crucial matters, in order to guarantee well-informed voting decisions.

Wybory Prezydenta Republiki Czeskiej w 2023 roku

The election of the President of the Czech republic has only been held directly since 2013. this system of holding them allows a wide range of diverse candidates to run and promotes greater democratisation of the political system. In the final run-off in 2023, nine people were in the running, with three counting until the end: Petr Pavel, andrej babiš and Danuše Nerudová. Pavel won strongly in the second round, defeating former Prime Minister babiš. the turnout was over 70%, a figure never before recorded in an election of a Czech head of state.the election was a clash of two visions of what foreign policy the Czech republic should pursue. Pavel is a strong advocate of rapprochement with the West, advocating support for Ukraine in its war with russia. babiš took a different position on these issues and his unfortunate statements before the decisive vote decided his defeat. The elections highlighted once again and confirmed the political division in society. Pavel enjoyed the greatest support in the capital, large cities (except ostrava), and generally among supporters of the ruling coalition. the former prime minister, on the other hand, was supported by voters from regions negatively affected by the political transition and by opposition parties.

Strategic communication in committees with expressive payoffs

AbstractThis article explores information aggregation and strategic communication in settings where committee members are held accountable, formally or informally, for their individual voting decisions. We show that if decisions are made via majority voting, expressive payoffs introduce a free‐rider problem that prevents the committee from communicating truthfully and taking optimal decisions. In contrast, if decisions are made by unanimity, free‐riding is mitigated because all agents are responsible for the committee's decision. In a controlled laboratory experiment, we find that under unanimity subjects are more truthful and are ultimately more likely to take the optimal decision.

All politics are national: Partisan defection in national and subnational elections

AbstractObjectiveWhile they were once viewed as largely local or candidate‐centered contests, recent American elections have come to be dominated by national forces such as presidential politics and partisanship. Prior research on voter behavior in this new era of nationalized politics, however, has largely focused on more high‐profile contests and has not examined voter decision making across multiple levels of government.MethodsOur study uses cross‐sectional (2006–2020) survey data from the Cooperative Election Study to explore the determinants of partisan loyalty and defection across both national and subnational American elections.ResultsWe find consistent evidence that citizens increasingly rely upon national forces—specifically partisan‐ideological sorting and presidential approval—to make decisions about candidates up and down the ballot. We also find mixed evidence that evaluations of the national economy inform defection behavior.ConclusionThese findings indicate that the national political forces shape voter behavior in national and subnational contests in effectively identical ways. Thus, the evidence supports the notion that all (electoral) politics are now national.

Rethinking the Influence of Agenda Setting Theory: An Assessment of the Influence of Agenda Setting Theory in the Voting Decisions during the 2020 General Election in Tanzania

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the agenda setting theory’s ability to affect and impact voters voting decisions during the 2020 Presidential election in Tanzania. The research specifically aimed to ascertain the agenda setting theory’s dominance on the voting decisions in comparison to other dominant third party factors such as prior knowledge, political affiliations and emotions amongst prospective voters. The research used FGD to collect the qualitative data while a survey procedure was used to gather the quantitative data. A total of five FGD were conducted which comprised of between six to nine informants whereas 478 questionnaires were successful returned and used in the analysis. A purposive sampling procedure was used to identify and select participants for the FGD whereas a simple random sampling technique was used for the survey. The participants for both FGD and survey were gotten from the Voter’s Registration Books (VRB) from each wards. The data collection was conducted between December 2020 and January 2021 in the five wards of Nyamagana district in Mwanza, Tanzania. After data collection, the data were coded and cleaned using the Scientific Package for Social Solutions (SPSS) version 20 before analysis. The frequency count, tables, descriptions, explanations, and simple percentage were used to present the research findings. The findings show that Agenda Setting Theory has slightly lost its power, it has been superseded by pre-existing knowledge (52%) and political party affiliations (27%).

Analisis Faktor-Faktor Determinan Dalam Pemilu : Suatu Tinjauan Terhadap Perspektif Mahasiswa PPKN Unimed Stambuk 2023

General elections (Pemilu) are a key element in strengthening the foundation of democracy, where voter participation, especially among students, plays a crucial role in shaping the direction of a country's democracy. This research explores the determinant factors influencing the decisions of young voters, particularly students in the Civic Education Program (PPKN) at Universitas Negeri Medan (Unimed) with Stambuk 2023. The primary focus of this study is to understand the motivations and barriers to young voter participation in elections. The research aims to analyze determinant factors in general elections, emphasizing the perspective of PPKN students at Unimed with Stambuk 2023. Through a survey approach and quantitative research design, the study reveals that student voters tend to make decisions based on in-depth understanding, personal beliefs, and active participation in political activities. These findings provide profound insights into the dynamics of student voter preferences and decision-making. Campaign strategies that prioritize effective communication regarding political parties, candidates' track records, visions and missions, work programs, and freedom of expression can enhance the potential for garnering support. Further understanding of personal values and individual experiences is also crucial in designing campaigns that align with the expectations and values of young voters. With this deeper understanding, the research aims to provide a foundation for formulating relevant policy recommendations to increase young voter participation at the university level.

The Influence of Political Communication on Youth Voter Decisions in Klang Valley: The Role of Credibility, Informativeness, Interactiveness, and Satire

In the digital age, the factors shaping young voters’ decisions are becoming increasingly complex. This study explores the impact of political credibility, political informativeness, political interactiveness, and political satire on the voting decisions of youth in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Utilizing a quantitative approach with a sample of 330 young voters, this research reveals that all four factors positively influence voter decisions, though their effects vary. Political credibility and political informativeness are significant, albeit with modest effects, highlighting their essential roles in shaping voter trust and decision-making. More pronounced impacts are observed with political interactiveness and political satire, which engage voters more dynamically and contribute to more pronounced shifts in voting behavior. These findings underscore the importance of integrating trust, information quality, engagement, and humor into political campaigns. The study provides strategic insights for enhancing political communication, offering a comprehensive understanding of how these key elements influence youth voting behavior in Malaysia and beyond.

The Political Behavior of the Batulanteh Highlands Community in the Regional Head Election of Sumbawa Regency in 2020

his research aims to determine the political behavior of voters and the factors behind them choosing the people of the Batulanteh highlands in the 2020 Sumbawa Regency regional elections. This is interesting to research becauseeach voter has their own reasons and interests in determining political choices, so that candidates can determine strategy in campaigning to get results that are in line with the target. This study is qualitative research. The results of the research showthat the tendency for political behavior to vote for the people of the Batulanteh highlands tends to be dominated by aspects of the figure and campaign issues as well as the candidate's work program. This is closely related to the real condition of Batulanteh which is still very underdeveloped and far from development aspects. The factors behind the political behavior of Batulanteh Community voters are the voter's social circle as a variable that is outside the voter but has an influence in determining individual political choices. Individual voters' decisions are strongly influenced by group cohesion processes, not purely individual decisions and actions. This creates a "threat" if an individual in a group makes a decision that is different from the group's decision, including the decision not to vote. Then there are patron client relationships, money politics, and an assessment of regional socio-economic conditions. Of the various aspects above, the most determining aspect is money politics. Meanwhile, thepatron-client aspect is relative, one-off, and not literate. The existence of money politics is considered the most determinant in influencing a person's voting decisions. This is caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, making money politics easier to accept andincreasing nominal vote buying. Money politics succeeded in influencing voting behavior because candidates used personal loyalist strategies to influence voters through their social environment. The use of money politics is an effort to strengthen voters'preferences for certain candidates and strengthen the confidence of regional head candidates to be able to get guaranteed voter compliance

Youth and Elections: Exploring Mobilization and Participation Influences

This study delved into the nuanced factors influencing youth mobilization and participation during elections, particularly focusing on the Filipino context. Despite the recognition of youth involvement as pivotal for nation-building, concerns persist regarding the perceived apathy among Filipino youth towards electoral engagement. Employing a quantitative approach, this research utilized survey questionnaires to gauge the influence shaping the decisions of young voters. Randomly selected respondents from various barangays form the sample pool, providing insights into the factors driving or hindering youth mobilization. Surprisingly, the findings revealed that traditional influential factors fail to significantly impact youth mobilization and participation. Moreover, demographic characteristics such as age, gender, religion, education, and employment status demonstrate limited correlation with electoral engagement levels. These findings prompt a reevaluation of existing assumptions and highlight the need for targeted strategies to enhance youth participation in electoral processes while upholding the fundamental Right of Suffrage.

Political Ads and Voter Decision Making: Effectiveness and Ethical Implications of Campaign Communication Strategies

Political Ads and Voter Decision Making: Effectiveness and Ethical Implications of Campaign Communication Strategies

Marketing Political Parties: Political Branding Elements and Voters’ Preference: A Hypothesised Model

Objective - The aim of this study is to create a hypothesised model of political brand elements that can influence voters’ preference. Theoretical testing is used in analysing the research subject of this paper. Methodology/Technique - The qualitative research method was employed and the exploratory research design was used. A hypothesised model aids in theory building and presents a graphic representation of the exploratory research findings. Trustworthiness of the research was confirmed through credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability. Findings – Awareness, party campaign, brand trust, leader’s image, party brand image and brand association were identified as political brand elements that may influence voting preference. Novelty - The significance of identifying the political brand elements that can potentially influence voter preference will add to existing literature which will assist researchers and political parties in understanding how political supporters make their voting decision. In addition, the hypothesised model of the study can be tested quantitatively in future studies. Type of Paper: Empirical JEL Classification: M39, M31, D72, P16 Keywords: Political branding, Marketing, Politics, Qualitative, Hypothesised model Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Ferreira, D; Eyk, M.V. (2023). Marketing Political Parties: Political Branding Elements and Voters’ Preference: A Hypothesised Model, J. Mgt. Mkt. Review, 8(4), 111 – 118. https://doi.org/10.35609/jmmr.2023.8.4(1)

Do Turkish Political Parties Pledge In Line With Their Party Family Ideologies? A Quantitative Analysis of Turkish Political Parties’ Manifesto Documents

In the Western political science literature, modern political parties are grouped into party families, i.e., social democrat, socialist, communist, Christian democrat, liberal, radical, conservative, farmer-peasant, right-wing extremist, regional-ethnic parties and environmental movements. Categorizing a large number of political parties into a small number of party families is important not only for scientific reasons but also for practical ones. A correct categorization would help voters to better evaluate political parties and make more conscious voting decisions. Nevertheless, despite its central importance, the party family is one of the least empirically researched topics in the political science literature. More specifically, the literature on party family particularly lacks sufficient empirical investigations into the link between parties’ issue positions and their family locations. Moreover, to my knowledge, no previous study has investigated to what extent the Western party family phenomenon able to group political parties in a non-Western country. In order to fill this gap, this study aims to answer the following research question: Do Turkish political parties’ issue positions, as revealed in their manifesto documents, align with their expected party family locations? Answering this research question I hypothesize that Turkish political parties’ issue positions do not correspond to their expected party family locations. Results of the empirical analysis of the Manifesto Project data largely supported this hypothesis and one can now safely argue that Turkish political parties do not pledge in line with values suggested by the Western party family categorization.

Should we include margins of error in public opinion polls?

AbstractPublic opinion polls have become vital and increasingly visible parts of election campaigns. Previous research has frequently demonstrated that polls can influence both citizens' voting intentions and political parties' campaign strategies. However, they are also fraught with uncertainty. Margins of error can reflect (parts of) this uncertainty. This paper investigates how citizens' voting intentions change due to whether polling estimates are presented with or without margins of error.Using a vignette experiment (N=3224), we examine this question based on a real‐world example in which different election polls were shown to nationally representative respondents ahead of the 2021 federal election in Germany. We manipulated the display of the margins of error, the interpretation of polls and the closeness of the electoral race.The results indicate that margins of error can influence citizens' voting intentions. This effect is dependent on the actual closeness of the race and additional interpretative guidance provided to voters. More concretely, the results consistently show that margins of error increase citizens' inclination to vote for one of the two largest contesting parties if the polling gap between these parties is small, and an interpretation underlines this closeness.The findings of this study are important for three reasons. First, they help to determine whether margins of error can assist citizens in making more informed (strategic) vote decisions. They shed light on whether depicting opinion‐poll uncertainty affects the key features of representative democracy, such as democratic accountability. Second, the results stress the responsibility of the media. The way polls are interpreted and contextualized influences the effect of margins of error on voting behaviour. Third, the findings of this paper underscore the significance of including methodological details when communicating scientific research findings to the broader public.

The Split-Ticket Voting Phenomenon: Analyzing Internal Voter Factors in the Central–Provincial House of Representatives Election

This research aims to analyze the phenomenon of split-ticket voting in the Central–Provincial House of Representatives election of 2019 in Makassar City based on internal voter factors. This research uses an inductive qualitative analysis. Inductive analysis is an approach that begins with field facts, analyzes them based on relevant theories and arguments, and ultimately yields a conclusion. The results show that voters demonstrated a rational or strategic approach to ticket-splitting in the Central–Provincial House of Representatives election 2019 in Makassar City. Four significant internal factors influence this phenomenon. The strength of the partisanship factor indicates that voters tend to assess candidates for the Central–Provincial House of Representatives based on individual character and achievements rather than political party loyalty. Furthermore, incumbency information reveals voters’ pragmatic behavior based on rational choices to gain personal benefits. On the other hand, the strategic/policy balancing factor shows the significant influence of non-positional candidate characteristics in voter decisions. Finally, campaigns and socialization play a crucial role through strategic coordination among candidates for the Central–Provincial House of Representatives, political nodes, and voters, emphasizing the importance of narratives constructed through direct interactions and political gossip in securing voter support. Therefore, it is recommended that candidates for the Central–Provincial House of Representatives from the same political party enhance collaboration and coordination to create straight-ticket voting for their voters. Meanwhile, it is essential for political nodes to strengthen coordination that prioritizes transparency and integrity in conveying information. On the other hand, voters should be encouraged to actively seek information about candidates’ track records and policies to make decisions based more on substantial judgment than the influence of political gossip or short-term incentives. These steps are expected to reduce the phenomenon of split-ticket voting in the simultaneous elections for the coming period in Makassar City.

The Agency Tax Costs of Mutual Funds

In the intermediated economy of the twenty-first century, retail mutual fund investors cede investment and voting decisions to institutional investors who manage the funds. As a result, actions undertaken unilaterally by financial intermediaries dictate the tax liability of passive individual investors. This Article argues that the tax decisions of institutional investors are guided by their own tax considerations rather than by the tax considerations of those beneficiaries who own mutual funds through conventional taxable accounts. Because these beneficiaries, unlike the institutional investors, are tax-sensitive, the diverging incentives give rise to agency tax costs. These agency tax costs arise from the institutional investors’ trading decisions and stewardship activities, as well as their voting behavior. Because these investors regularly vote on corporate mergers and acquisitions (M&A), voting outcomes on these transactions are distorted. The structure of M&A deals, the method of payment used in such deals, and even premiums paid to sellers are skewed because the votes of passive tax-sensitive investors are cast by tax-insensitive institutional investors. As a result, institutional investors not only fail to replicate the tax outcomes that tax-sensitive investors could have achieved had they owned stock directly, but they also fail to achieve the same corporate voting outcomes. This Article proposes several options for mitigating agency tax costs. These options include mandatory separation of funds based on the tax profile of the beneficiaries, heightened tax disclosure by mutual funds, decentralization of votes in mutual fund sponsors and pass-through voting systems. These alternatives would reduce the agency tax costs of mutual funds without imposing new agency costs on tax-insensitive shareholders who also rely on institutional investors for portfolio management.

Online Political Advertising and Voting Decisions during the 2019 General Elections in Akwa Ibom State

The study set out to investigate if the voting decisions of voters in Akwa Ibom in the 2019 general elections were based on exposure to online political advertisements. Specific objectives of the paper examined if voters in Akwa ibom State were exposed to online political advertising during general elections in Akwa Ibom State and also ascertain the predominant online platforms with political advertisements that appealed to voters during the general elections in Akwa Ibom State. The study was anchored on the technological determinism theory. The survey research design was adopted, with the questionnaire serving as instrument for data collection from 400 sampled respondents. Findings from the study showed that majority of the respondents were exposed to online political advertising messages, which had contributed to their decisions in making a choice of candidates. Facebook, Twitter, Websites, Whatsapp and Instagram were predominant online platforms with political advertising messages that had appealed to Voters during general elections in Akwa Ibom State. Findings also showed that respondents had a far reaching exposure to online political advertising through online platforms, with Facebook, being the most predominant platform that offered the most exposure to respondents during general elections in Akwa Ibom State. The study recommended that political parties should channel resources to online political advertising practitioners through engagement of more online platforms and not a selective predominant platform to reach a wider targeted audience.