The Power of the Dark Side: Negative Partisanship and Political Behaviour in Canada

2014 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 771-789 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas J. Caruana ◽  
R. Michael McGregor ◽  
Laura B. Stephenson
Keyword(s):  
Voter Turnout ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Vote Choice ◽  
Dark Side ◽  
Election Study ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Political Activities ◽  
Political Behaviour ◽  
Full Effect ◽  
Partisan Identification

AbstractThe origins and implications of partisan identification are well-studied, but negative partisan attitudes—dislike for a particular party—have escaped such scrutiny, even as the politics of negativity enjoys sustained popularity, especially come election time. In this paper we build upon the comparatively modest negative partisanship literature to consider the effects of negative partisan attitudes on a range of political behaviours. There are reasons to suspect that negative and positive partisanship may have different effects; thus, accounting for the unique influence of negative attitudes is important for understanding the full effect of partisanship on political behaviour. Our results, based upon Canadian Election Study data from 2008 and 2011, reveal that, in addition to vote choice, negative partisanship influences voter turnout and a range of political activities, both related and unrelated to parties. These findings provide evidence of the power of the “dark side” of partisanship.

The Policy Opinions of British Political Activists

1983 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 604-619 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Welch ◽  
Donley T. Studlar
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Political Ideology ◽  
The United States ◽  
Election Study ◽  
Political Behaviour ◽  
Socioeconomic Characteristics ◽  
Activist Group ◽  
Policy Attitudes ◽  
Demographic Attributes ◽  
The Impact

This article employs the October 1974 British Election Study to examine the level and nature of political ideology among British political activists, the effects of socioeconomic characteristics on these attitudes, and the impact of the attitudes on political behaviour. On balance, the activist group closely resembles the nonactivist population. Activists are somewhat more ideological in their thinking than nonactivists, but the differences are quite small. Demographic attributes affect the policy attitudes of the élite slightly more than the nonactivists, but again differences are small. The influence of issue attitudes on voting is about the same for activists and nonactivists. These results stand in contrast to studies showing large élite-mass policy differences in the United States and other work documenting ideological orientations in higher levels of the Labour Party.

Descriptive Representation and Black Political Involvement

Gaining Voice ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 97-122
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Clark ◽  
Ray Block
Keyword(s):  
African Americans ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Representative Democracy ◽  
The Political ◽  
Political Involvement ◽  
Congressional Election ◽  
Election Study ◽  
Political Empowerment ◽  
Black Representation ◽  
The Us

A healthy representative democracy requires that citizens be politically involved, and it is especially important to consider the political involvement of groups that are marginalized, such as African Americans. Building on the political empowerment hypothesis, the chapter argues that an increased black seat share and black representation ratio should be associated with increased black political involvement. Using 2008 Cooperative Congressional Election Study data, the chapter describes how in states with an increased black seat share in the legislature blacks are more likely to be highly interested in politics and are more likely to vote. In states with a higher black representation ratio, blacks are more inclined to persuade others to vote. Black representation in the US House does not increase black political involvement, despite being the focus of many scholarly works of political empowerment.

Where’s the meat? An evaluation of diet and partisanship identification

2019 ◽  
Vol 122 (3) ◽  
pp. 896-909 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha L. Mosier ◽  
Arbindra P. Rimal
Keyword(s):  
Comprehensive Evaluation ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Dietary Behaviour ◽  
Sample Population ◽  
Tobit Regression ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Frequency Distributions ◽  
Political Activities ◽  
Political Behaviour ◽  
Explanatory Factors

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to comprehensively evaluate the connection between dietary choice and partisanship affiliation among the US population. Food has the potential to be a powerful factor connected to identity and political behaviour.Design/methodology/approachThis study analyses survey data (including frequency distributions, cross-tabulations and Tobit regression models) from the Natural Marketing Institute’s 2016 LOHAS database with a total sample population of 4,134.FindingsThe results provide a platform for further exploring the interaction and effect of diet and partisan affiliation as it applies to political outcomes and market activities. This study confirms that individuals identify as either a Democrat or unaffiliated are more likely to report a vegan or vegetarian-based diet compared to Republicans. However, unaffiliated respondents are also just as likely as Republicans to report a red meat-intensive diet. Gender, race and education level are consistent explanatory factors across the entire population for influencing self-reported dietary behaviour, but location lifestyle factors, such as marital and employment status, influence partisan groups differently.Research limitations/implicationsThe reliance of self-reported diet and partisan affiliation of respondents among US respondents.Originality/valueMost research examining diet and political activities mostly stem from vegan and vegetarian identity research. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation on the relationship between diet and partisan affiliation in the broader public.

scholarly journals Do as I Say or Do as I Do? How Social Relationships Shape the Impact of Descriptive and Injunctive Norms of Voting

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Edward Fieldhouse ◽  
David Cutts
Keyword(s):  
Social Relationships ◽  
Voter Turnout ◽  
Social Relationship ◽  
Joint Effect ◽  
Political Discussion ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Social Approval ◽  
Election Study ◽  
Injunctive Norms ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Social norms play an important role in our understanding of why people vote, yet very little is known about the relative importance of descriptive and injunctive norms for voter turnout or how normative influence is affected by the political and social relationship between citizens. Using political discussion network data from the British Election Study, this article examines the joint effect of descriptive and injunctive norms on turnout. It demonstrates that citizens follow the example of those closest to them (descriptive norms), especially their partner, but they also respond to social approval of voting from political discussants regardless of the nature of their relationship.

Religion and Grassroots Social Conservatism in Canada

2019 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 865-881
Author(s):  
Sarah Wilkins-Laflamme ◽  
Sam Reimer
Keyword(s):  
Adult Population ◽  
Value Orientation ◽  
Vote Choice ◽  
Election Study ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Liberal Party ◽  
Political Landscape ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Social Conservatism

AbstractWith a decisive Liberal party electoral victory in 2015, observers are now wondering if religious conservatism's role in the Canadian political landscape is waning. Using data from the Canadian Election Study (CES) from the years 2004 to 2015, we find that respondents’ attitudes toward same-sex marriage and women working outside the home have moved left on the spectrum among both the general population and more religious voters. However, this does not go hand in hand with a decline in the effect strength of religiosity on the Conservative vote, which remains significant across the five federal elections examined in this study. Conservative religious voters now make up a smaller share of the adult population, but their issue positions on sexual morals and gender roles, along with the wider conservative value orientation these issues represent, remain important in their vote choice.

scholarly journals Representation in Wales: An empirical analysis of policy divisions between voters and candidates

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 425-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siim Trumm
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Empirical Analysis ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Election Study ◽  
Policy Positions ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Important Policy ◽  
Policy Priority ◽  
Liberal Policy ◽  
The Eu

Politics in Wales is often portrayed as being relatively consensual and enjoying healthy levels of trust between voters and elites when compared with the rest of the United Kingdom. Recent events, like the decision of Welsh voters to reject membership of the EU against the advice of most of its political establishment, are however calling into question this perception. Using the 2016 Welsh Candidate Study and 2016 Welsh Election Study data, this article evaluates the extent of policy divisions between voters and candidates in Wales. I find that candidates hold more liberal policy positions and are less likely than voters to think of immigration as the most important policy priority. In addition, they tend to favour a different approach to parliamentary representation, deeming it more acceptable for Assembly Members to discard the views of their voters in favour of their own views or those of their party.

scholarly journals Growing Social Inequalities in Youth Civic Engagement? Evidence from the National Election Study

2012 ◽  
Vol 45 (03) ◽  
pp. 456-461 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Wray-Lake ◽  
Daniel Hart
Keyword(s):  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Social Inequalities ◽  
National Election ◽  
Election Study ◽  
Youth Civic Engagement ◽  
Political Activities ◽  
Class Differences ◽  
National Election Study ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Over Time

AbstractSocial class differences in civic engagement persist for both youth and adults. Although empirical evidence is mixed, several recent social changes pertaining to youth suggest that social inequalities in civic engagement may be growing over time for young people. Using data from the National Election Study, we compared trends for youth and older adults of varying education levels and tested the hypothesis of an increasing educational disparity in youth political participation. Results for voting supported our expectations: declines over time were found for less-educated youth only. Unexpectedly, participation in other political activities for more-educated youth declined more over time compared to other groups. Our findings highlight the need to create equal opportunities for youth civic engagement across social groups.

Workfare: conditioning the attitudes of benefit recipients towards social security?

2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Humpage ◽  
Simone Baillie
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Social Security ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Welfare Dependency ◽  
Election Study ◽  
Self Interest ◽  
People’S Attitudes ◽  
The Unemployed ◽  
Over Time

Have increasing levels of conditionality fundamentally changed the attitudes of the unemployed towards social security, work obligations and welfare dependency? Both neopaternalist and governmentalist theorising suggests that workfare policies should have shifted this group's conceptions of self-interest over time yet previous evidence has been rather mixed. This article makes a fresh contribution to the literature by drawing upon New Zealand Election Study data (1990–2014) and New Zealand qualitative data (2007–2008; 2014) to analyse the attitudes of “undeserving” unemployed benefit recipients who are subject to work obligations over 21 years and by comparing their attitudes to those of “deserving” benefit recipients not subject to work obligations (the retired and students) and wage/salary earners. It finds a notable hardening of unemployed people's attitudes towards some welfare dependency propositions over time and evidence of “self-governing rationalities” being adopted by some unemployed individuals but, overall, attitudes amongst this group remain nuanced and ambivalent.

The Effects of Social Class Identification on Participatory Orientations Towards Government

2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 469-495 ◽  
Author(s):  
KATHERINE CRAMER WALSH ◽  
M. KENT JENNINGS ◽  
LAURA STOKER
Keyword(s):  
Social Class ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Class Identity ◽  
Political Behaviour ◽  
Two Generations ◽  
The Common ◽  
Class Identification ◽  
Objective Indicators ◽  
Over Time

This article calls into question the common claim that class identity does not matter for American political behaviour. Using panel-study data spanning thirty-two years and two generations, we investigate the effects of social-class identity on five participatory orientations towards government. As expected, working-class identifiers in both generations consistently display lower levels of involvement in politics than do middle-class identifiers. Significantly, however, these differences typically persist when the analysis controls for objective indicators of class and are always enhanced among those who retain the same class identity over time. Rather than sustaining a conclusion that class identification has little relevance for Americans, the results suggest that class may be particularly important in the present political context.

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