|
Vote Choice Criteria |
Decision Rule |
Information required |
Voter Rationality |
Elite Accountability |
Problems |
|
Position Issues: (central in Rep’ive Demo Theory) |
Vote for the candidate
closer to own position on the issue |
Have opinion, know
candidates’ opinions on the issue, care about the issue, see
a difference between the candidates on the issue. Issue publics possible. |
Very rational |
High accountability |
Information costs high |
|
Performance evaluations: retrospective or prospective, personal or national
(sociotropic) conditions |
Vote for candidate or party
based on the party’s past or future performance |
Rough assessment of whether
economic times (or other conditions) have gotten better or worse under the
incumbent (usually the president’s) party, or a rough prediction of how the
party is likely to perform in the future |
Fairly rational |
Reasonable performance
accountability |
May be hard for voters |
|
Party ID (irrational criterion in
Revisionist theory) |
Vote for candidate with
same party affiliation as you |
Only the candidate’s party
affiliation |
Rational if |
Some accountability |
If low party discipline |
|
Candidate Image (irrational criterion in
Revisionist theory) |
Vote for candidate with
better personal characteristics |
Some assessment of
candidates’ personalities |
Rational if |
Little accountability |
Image management |