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Power & Choice, 8/e
W. Phillips Shively, University of Minnesota---Minneapolis
Elections

Chapter Outline


I. Why elections are 'in vogue' even in non-democratic states
  1. Elections as a way to appear democratic even if not
  2. Other reasons
    1. allowing mass of people to have some direct say in the choice of leaders and policies
    2. allow state to mobilize its people and to build up their support for the state by acting out support and participating in the process of government

II. Elections as a means of building support
  1. Example: Soviet Union pre-1989

III. Elections as a means of selecting leaders and policies
  1. Electoral systems
    1. Two conditions for the SMDP bias

IV. Referendums (when, where used, why not used more often)

V. Electoral Participation
  1. great variation
  2. cultural traditions
  3. practical issues
  4. difficulty making political decisions
  5. political circumstances (ex: close elections/national elections)

VI. The "paradox of participation"
  1. why people bother voting
    1. Box: What is the best level of participation

VII. Bases of individuals' electoral choices
  1. how people chose which party/candidate to vote for
  2. short and long-term factors
  3. Example: Proportional Representation--Elections in Israel
  4. Example: Elections in Nigeria








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