Lesson 42: How Do Voters Decide?
In this lesson, we will look at the major factors that influence a person's
choice of party identification. We will also look at factors that can affect a
person's voting behavior, such as how a candidate is perceived and issues that
may be of particular importance to voters based on demographic factors.
What influences people in choosing the party they identify with obviously
begins with the family. Other factors include peers, significant events in a
generation, the various forms of media, and how the candidates are perceived.
Most people stick with their party from election to election,
but the candidates and the issues change. A person's vote can be changed by
those differences.
It has always been a concern among voters who they are
voting for. A candidate who shares their views is a major plus, but at the same
time, the candidate has to come across as having characteristics such as
honesty and integrity.
There are a variety of issues that
can affect voting behavior. Voters tend to
stick with the incumbent if the economy is in good shape, and vote for the
challenger if the economy is struggling.
Common characteristics like religion, income, and
socioeconomic status are often associated with common political concerns – for
example, many people that are evangelical Christians would share a concern for
a candidate’s stance on abortion.
Socioeconomic Status is the value assigned to a person due to
their occupation or income. A professional with a substantial income, for
example, has high socioeconomic status.
Race and
sex are also important demographic characteristics that play a role in
voting behavior, especially when political issues involve rights concerning
those demographic differences.