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Disclaimer. Don't rely on these old notes in lieu of reading the literature, but they can jog your memory. As a grad student long ago, my peers and I collaborated to write and exchange summaries of political science research. I posted them to a wiki-style website. "Wikisum" is now dead but archived here. I cannot vouch for these notes' accuracy, nor can I say who wrote them.
Kinder and Kiewiet. 1981. Sociotropic politics: The American case. British Journal of Political Science 11 (April): 129-161.
Does personal economic experiences or sociotropic information influence political decisions
Note: Kinder and Kiewiet are talking about information, NOT motivations. They aren't saying that sociotropic voting is inherently altruistic.
| H1 | H2 | H3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hypotheses | Sociotropic info is more influential than personal pocketbooks on political decisions in Congressional elections. | Sociotropic info is more influential than personal pocketbooks on political decisions in Presidential elections. | Sociotropic info is more influential than personal pocketbooks on political decisions in partisanship. |
| IV(s) | Personal pocketbook; sociotropic info | Personal pocketbook; sociotropic info | Personal pocketbook; sociotropic info |
| DV | Political decisions in Congressional elections | Political decisions in Presidential elections | Political decisions in degree of partisanship |
| Cases | Elections in 1972, 1974, 1976 | Elections in 1972 (between Republican incumbent Nixon and Democratic challenger McGovern) and 1976 (between: Republican incumbent Ford and Democratic challenger Carter) | Changes in partisanship--same period. |
| Findings | Sociotropic economic judgements predicted a large portion of variance in voting (personal pocketbook did not). | Sociotropic economic judgements predicted a large portion of variance in voting (personal pocketbook had a small effect and differed between elections). | Sociotropic economic judgements predicted a large portion of variance in voting (personal pocketbook did not). |
Were these good presidential elections to test because of Nixon? Ford also wasn't a "normal" incumbent.
Research by the same authors
Research on similar subjects
Tags
Kinder, Donald (author) • Kiewiet, Roderick (author) • Political Theory • Self-Interest • Voting • Turnout • Prosocial Behavior
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