Decoding Voter Decision-Making Factors

The video explores how American voters make decisions, focusing on three main factors: party loyalty, candidate characteristics, and issues. Party loyalty is a strong predictor of voting behavior, often influenced by family and personal ideology. Candidate characteristics such as race, gender, and personality also play a role. Issues are considered through retrospective and prospective voting, with spatial and valence issues discussed. The video concludes by noting that informed voters weigh issues and characteristics more heavily, but party affiliation remains significant in American elections.

What is the main challenge in understanding how voters make decisions?

• Voters are always honest about their motivations.

• Voting decisions are influenced by a single factor.

• Human beings are unreliable in knowing their own motivations.

• Political scientists have no interest in voter behavior.

Which factor is considered the largest predictor of how a person will vote?

• Candidate's appearance

• Party loyalty

• Media influence

• Economic conditions

What is one reason people develop a psychological attachment to a political party?

• Media influence

• Rebellion against parents

• Peer pressure

• Childhood experiences

Which characteristic is NOT mentioned as influencing voter decisions?

• Candidate's gender

• Candidate's religion

• Candidate's favorite color

• Candidate's race

Why might geography be important in voter decisions?

• It influences the candidate's popularity.

• It determines the candidate's policies.

• It shows the candidate's regional identification.

• It affects the candidate's campaign funding.

What is retrospective voting?

• Voting based on a candidate's future promises

• Voting based on a candidate's appearance

• Voting based on a candidate's past performance

• Voting based on a candidate's party affiliation

What is a spatial issue?

• An issue with a range of possible options

• An issue that is universally agreed upon

• An issue related to space exploration

• An issue with a single solution

What is a valence issue?

• An issue that is related to a candidate's personality

• An issue that is specific to a region

• An issue that all voters prefer a higher value of

• An issue with a range of possible options

What is the Bradley Effect?

• Voters lying about their party affiliation

• Voters lying about their candidate preference due to race

• Voters changing their minds at the last minute

• Voters being influenced by media coverage

What happens when the electorate is more informed?

• Voting turnout decreases

• Issues and candidate characteristics matter more

• Candidate characteristics matter less

• Party loyalty becomes less important