10. Voters and political behavior

Political Behavior

Refers to individual or group involvement in politics, including activities with consequences related to politics, government, or policy.

Interest Groups

Organizations that seek to influence public policy and decisions on behalf of their members.

Public Goods

Goods or services that are non-excludable and non-rivalrous, meaning they benefit everyone and cannot be limited to certain individuals.

Collective Action Problems

Situations where individuals choose not to participate in a collective effort, hoping others will, leading to suboptimal outcomes.

Selective Incentives

Benefits that are available only to those who participate in a collective action, encouraging involvement.

Ethnography

A qualitative research method involving the study of people and cultures in their natural environment.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that the authority of a state and its government is created and sustained by the consent of its people.

Elections as an expression of identity & groups

The concept that citizens' group memberships shape their identity, political attitudes, and vote choices.

Descriptive representation

Elected politicians who are members of the same groups as the citizens they represent.

Swing voters

Individuals whose vote choice is not predetermined and can significantly impact electoral outcomes.

Compulsory voting

A system where citizens are legally required to vote in elections.

Macro-level correlates of voter turnout

Factors such as ease of voting, proportional representation, and the nature of the election that influence voter participation.

Bias in public policies

The impact of turnout biases on the policies implemented by elected officials.

Elite Polarization

The conservative asymmetry of elite polarization, where politicians maintain systematic misperceptions of constituency opinion leading to breakdowns in representation.

Get-Out-the-Vote (GOTV) Tactics

Strategies and methods used to encourage and increase voter turnout in elections.

Border Counties

Counties located near the border of a region, often used in research to study the effects of advertising on voter turnout and election outcomes.

Canvassing

Direct contact with individuals, especially in the context of political campaigns, to mobilize voters or change attitudes.

Transphobia

Prejudice or discrimination against transgender individuals.