How Voters Decide
Information Processing in Election Campaigns

This 2006 book proposes a new framework for studying voter decision making.

Richard R. Lau (Author), David P. Redlawsk (Author)

9780521613064, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 26 June 2006

366 pages, 16 tables
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.1 cm, 0.54 kg

2007 Outstanding Academic Title -- Choice Magazine

This book attempts to redirect the field of voting behavior research by proposing a paradigm-shifting framework for studying voter decision making. An innovative experimental methodology is presented for getting 'inside the heads' of citizens as they confront the overwhelming rush of information from modern presidential election campaigns. Four broad theoretically-defined types of decision strategies that voters employ to help decide which candidate to support are described and operationally-defined. Individual and campaign-related factors that lead voters to adopt one or another of these strategies are examined. Most importantly, this research proposes a new normative focus for the scientific study of voting behavior: we should care about not just which candidate received the most votes, but also how many citizens voted correctly - that is, in accordance with their own fully-informed preferences.

Part I. Theory and Methods: 1. Introduction
2. A new theory of voter decision making
3. Studying voting as a process
4. What is correct voting?
Part II. Information Processing: 5. What voters do - a first cut
6. Individual differences in information processing
7. Campaign effects on information processing
Part III. Politics: 8. Evaluating candidates
9. Voting
10. Voting correctly
11. Political heuristics
Part IV. Conclusion: 12. A look back, and a look forward
Part V. Appendices and References.

Subject Areas: Political parties [JPL], Politics & government [JP], Psychology [JM], Media studies [JFD]