Voting behavior

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Voting behavior (also voter behavior ) describes the behavior of voters aimed at the distribution of power and the deprivation of power through the evaluation and selection of person, program and party alternatives. Electoral behavior and its determining factors are the scientific subject of electoral research .

Political science examines voting behavior in the context of empirical electoral research. This branch of political science is of great interest to parties and the media and is therefore very well researched. Empirical electoral research examines which influences influence the decision of the voter. A rough distinction is made here:

  • rational or emotional elements
  • short-term or long-term influences
  • Experiences or expectations
  • individual decisions or group decisions

Explanatory approaches

Three explanatory approaches determine the image of research today, some of them are contradicting, and others build on one another:

  • The socio-structural approaches claim to base the voter's decision in favor of a certain political alternative on characteristics of the social structure such as age, gender, or the social context such as professional status and affiliation, religious background or size of place of residence. To this end, US electoral research in particular developed explanatory patterns using micro- and macro-sociological approaches that differentiate between the behavior-determining social group size. In addition, electoral research uses the cleavage theory of Lipset and Rokkan to explain party ties across social lines of conflict.
  • the social-psychological approach , also known as the Ann Arbor or Michigan model, interprets voting behavior through political attitudes. For this, both a long-term formative party identification based on the socio-structural approach, as well as attitudes to political and factual issues, as well as the personal profiles of the top candidates, who only influence the voting decision in the election campaign, determine behavior.
  • the rational choice approach : people primarily make decisions based on benefits. His personal, economic advantage is the only basis for decision-making.

Development tendencies in voting behavior

The voting behavior of citizens entitled to vote has changed significantly in recent years. Politicians and academics complain about a steadily falling voter turnout . Causes for changed voting behavior:

  • social change, individualization and changing values
  • historical change, which could result in changed demands on politics
  • The fact that politics does not sufficiently respond to the changed structures leads to a growing lack of political interest, which expresses disaffection with politics
  • Due to the change in the media, political scandals are declared more and more easily.

Furthermore, globalization (including changes in cultural values) and economic change are important.