Choice Preference, Civic Duty and Voter Turnout

Authors

Ching-Hsing Wang

Volume Number

44

Issue Number

1

Abstract

This study employs the EITM framework to examine the effects of choice preference and civic duty on turnout. My theoretical model suggests that voter turnout is a function of party differential, civic duty, candidate favorability and their interactions. My empirical analyses reveal that party differential, civic duty and candidate favorability respectively increase the likelihood of voter participation. More importantly, party differential and candidate favorability respectively interact with civic duty to exert negative influences on turnout. That is, the effects of party differential and candidate favorability on turnout depend on the level of civic duty. The finding implies that citizens with a strong sense of civic duty go to vote mainly because they want to fulfill their civic obligation and thus hardly take into consideration their preferences over parties and candidates. Lastly, this study suggests that analysts should include the interaction term between choice preference and civic duty in the statistical model of turnout, which has been ignored in past studies.

Recommended Citation

Wang, Ching-Hsing (2016) "Choice Preference, Civic Duty and Voter Turnout," Journal of Political Science: Vol. 44: No. 1, Article 2.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/jops/vol44/iss1/2