
A diverse body of research exists to explain why eligible voters don't go to the polls on election day. Theories span from the psychological (nonvoters have limited emotional engagement with politics and therefore lack motivation), to the social (politics is inherently social and nonvoters have limited networks), and the personal (nonvoters tend to be young, less educated, poor, and highly mobile). Other scholars suggest that people don't vote because campaigns are uninspiring. This book poses a new theory: uncertainty about the national context at the time of the election. During times of national crisis, when uncertainty is high, citizens are motivated to sort through information about each candidate to figure out which would best mitigate their uncertainty. When external uncertainty is low, however, citizens spend less time learning about candidates and are equally unmotivated to vote.The American Nonvoter examines how uncertainty regarding changing economic conditions, dramatic national events, and U.S. international interventions influences people's decisions whether to vote or not. Using rigorous statistical tools and rich historical stories, Lyn Ragsdale and Jerrold G. Rusk test this theory on aggregate nonvoting patterns in the United States across presidential and midterm elections from 1920 to 2012. The authors also challenge the stereotype of nonvoters as poor, uneducated and apathetic. Instead, the book shows that nonvoters are, by and large, as politically knowledgeable as voters, but see no difference between candidates or view them negatively.
This book investigates the core question of why eligible citizens choose not to participate in American elections by proposing a new theory centered on national uncertainty. Authors Jerrold G. Rusk and Lyn Ragsdale, both established scholars in political science, utilize a combination of longitudinal statistical analysis and historical narrative to argue that voter turnout is driven by the public's need to mitigate uncertainty during national crises. They contend that when external uncertainty is low, citizens lack the motivation to differentiate between candidates, leading to higher rates of nonvoting regardless of socioeconomic status.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Experts recognize this work as a significant contribution to the study of political participation, particularly for its challenge to traditional stereotypes regarding nonvoter apathy. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which makes it a valuable resource for researchers and students of American electoral behavior.
Page Count:
328
Publication Date:
2017-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0190670738
ISBN-13:
9780190670733
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