The Return of the American Voter? Party Polarization and Voting Behavior, 1988 to 2004
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2482327 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Kyle Dodson (0000-0001-6141-2939, University of California, Merced, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2010 |
| Volume | 53 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 443-449 |
| Publication date | 2010-09-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Sociological Perspectives (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0731-1214 • E-ISSN: 1533-8673 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1525/sop.2010.53.3.443 |
| OpenAlex | W2107582075 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 10 |
| References cited | 8 |
A frequent concern voiced by social commentators has been the persistence of mass disengagement over the past two decades-despite evidence of improving democratic involvement. In particular, since 1988, voter turnout in presidential elections has dramatically rebounded, to the point that they now rival the turnout rates of the 1960s. Yet little is known about the cause of this trend. The primary theoretical focus of the following study is to examine what factors were behind this increase in turnout, paying particular attention to the electoral relevance of increasing party polarization. Results indicate that the rise in polarization was a central driver behind the turnout boom. Changes in the electoral environment account for almost 80 percent of the total increase in voter turnout. The analysis suggests that party polarization represents a key mechanism that links citizens to the larger political process. Implications for the current state of mass engagement generally and political behavior specifically are discussed
Boom · Democracy · Demographic economics · Disengagement theory · Economics · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Presidential election · Presidential system · Turnout · Voter turnout · Voting · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Law · Social and Cultural Dynamics · Social Media and Politics
Turnout and the distortion of representation
Patterns of (de)politicization in times of crisis
Does polarization increase participation? A systematic literature review and meta-analysis
Turnout, party system diversity and left-of-centre parties
Can Independents Save Democracy in an Era of Polarization
Does ideological polarization promote political engagement and trust? Evidence from Swiss panel data, 1999–2023
What Affects Voter Turnout? A Review Article/Meta-Analysis of Aggregate Research
Polarization, Number of Parties, and Voter Turnout
National Presidential Election Turnout
The hierarchies of age-period-cohort research
| Unique citing works | 10 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0.83 |
| Citation span | 2014 - 2026 (13) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 10 |