Voter Turnout and Rationality Quiz

The expected outcome of an election if 90% of partisans vote for their party and independents split evenly.

Voters who are not strongly committed to a specific party and may switch their vote based on factors like candidate performance or current events.

The tendency of voters to maintain consistency between their opinions and actions, often leading them to vote for candidates whose policy positions align with their own.

When voters assume a candidate shares their values or policy positions even if they don't have enough information to know for sure.

The process where voters adopt the same policy preferences as the candidate they support, even if they previously held different views.

The influence that a voter's party affiliation has on their voting decision.

Voters who are less informed about political issues and candidates may be more easily influenced by simple campaign messages or events.

The effect of a candidate's perceived attractiveness on their vote share.

The extent to which a candidate's policy positions align with the voter's own views.

Strategies employed by campaigns to reach and influence voters.

The idea that voters make rational decisions when voting, meaning they choose the candidate whose policies most closely align with their own beliefs and who is most likely to fulfill their campaign promises.

A measure of how many eligible voters participate in an election. It's calculated as the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot.

The psychological or social factors that motivate people to vote, even if they don't expect their individual vote to change the outcome of the election.

The difference in benefit a voter receives if their preferred candidate wins compared to the benefit they would receive if the other candidate wins.

The likelihood that an individual vote will actually determine the outcome of an election. Generally, this probability is very low in large elections.

The costs associated with voting, including the time and effort required to learn about candidates, register to vote, and actually go to the polls.

A theory suggesting that people vote because they are influenced by others, such as friends, family, or social groups.

The tendency for voters to identify strongly with a particular political party and consistently vote for that party's candidates.

A type of electoral system where the candidate with the most votes wins, even if they don't have a majority.

An electoral system where voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate gets a majority in the first round, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed until someone has a majority.

A system where voters elect representatives based on their party's platform, not individual candidates.

A system that combines elements of both majoritarian and proportional representation, aiming to balance the advantages of each system.

The idea that elections, though imperfect, are essential for ensuring government accountability to the people.

The tendency for political parties in power to favor the electoral system that got them elected, even if it's not the most fair or representative.

Voting based on personal economic circumstances, such as income or employment.

Voting based on broader societal concerns, such as the economy, national security, or social justice.

The correlation between racial resentment and negative views of the economy.

The tendency for voters to choose candidates who align with their own social identity groups, such as race, gender, or religion.

An electoral system that aims to allocate seats in proportion to the number of votes received by each party.

The idea that representation should reflect the diversity of the population, not just political ideology.

The tendency for a plurality voting system to favor two-party systems, while proportional representation systems encourage multi-party systems.

The practice of elected officials helping individual constituents with problems or concerns, often seen as a way to build support.

A situation where there is a large discrepancy between the number of votes a party receives and the number of seats they win in the legislature.