European University Institute Library

Voter turnout, a social theory of political participation, Meredith Rolfe

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 201-222) and index

illustrations

index present

non fiction

Voter turnout

bibliography

1088492674

Meredith Rolfe

Political economy of institutions and decisions

a social theory of political participation

"This book develops and empirically tests a social theory of political participation. It overturns prior understandings of why some people (such as college-degree holders, churchgoers and citizens in national rather than local elections) vote more often than others. The book shows that the standard demographic variables are not proxies for variation in the individual costs and benefits of participation, but for systematic variation in the patterns of social ties between potential voters. Potential voters who move in larger social circles, particularly those including politicians and other mobilizing actors, have more access to the flurry of electoral activity prodding citizens to vote and increasing political discussion. Treating voting as a socially defined practice instead of as an individual choice over personal payoffs, a social theory of participation is derived from a mathematical model with behavioral foundations that is empirically calibrated and tested using multiple methods and data sources"--provided by publisher