How Voters Decide: Crash Course Government and Politics

The video explores how American voters make decisions, focusing on three main factors: party loyalty, candidate characteristics, and issues. Party loyalty is highlighted as a significant 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 divided into retrospective and prospective voting, with spatial and valence issues further complicating decisions. The video concludes by acknowledging other factors like personal prejudices and the Bradley effect, emphasizing the importance of an informed electorate.

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

• Voting decisions are purely random.

• Voter decisions are influenced by many unconscious factors.

• Political scientists have not studied voter behavior.

• Voters are always honest about their motivations.

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

• Economic conditions

• Media influence

• Party loyalty

• Candidate's hairstyle

How can family influence an individual's party identification?

• By forcing them to join a political party

• Through psychological attachment developed from youth

• By having no impact at all

• By encouraging them to vote for the opposing party

Which candidate characteristic might influence voters based on stereotypes?

• Candidate's ethnicity

• Candidate's favorite color

• Candidate's favorite food

• Candidate's shoe size

What is a common assumption about voters' preferences regarding candidates' social backgrounds?

• Voters prefer candidates from different social classes.

• Voters are indifferent to social background.

• Voters prefer candidates with no social background.

• Voters choose candidates similar to themselves in social class.

What is retrospective voting?

• Voting based on a candidate's appearance

• Voting based on a candidate's future promises

• Voting based on a candidate's past performance

• Voting based on a candidate's social media presence

What are spatial issues in the context of voting?

• Issues that are universally agreed upon

• Issues that are irrelevant to voters

• Issues with a range of possible options

• Issues with only one possible solution