Structure, behavior, and voter turnout in the United States
By: TIMPONE, Richard J
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ArticlePublisher: New York, NY : Cambridge University Press, March 1998American Political Science Review 92, 1, p. 145-158Abstract: More than seventy years ago, in distinguishing among types of electoral nonparticipants, Merriam and Gosnell (1924, 252) observed: "Entirely different reasons were emphasized by those who were not registered than by those who were registered but did not vote in the particular election." Although more recent discussions have demonstrated important distinctions among groups of nonvoters, some have little to say about the relationship between the institutional structure of electoral participation and individual behavior (Conway and Hughes 1993, Marchant-Shapiro 1994, Ragsdale and Rusk 1993). Merriam and Gosnell's seminal work, however, implies that the structural context in which electoral decisions take place may play an important role in citizen's calculi. This article presents a systematic analysis of these forces to gain further insight into electoral participation.
More than seventy years ago, in distinguishing among types of electoral nonparticipants, Merriam and Gosnell (1924, 252) observed: "Entirely different reasons were emphasized by those who were not registered than by those who were registered but did not vote in the particular election." Although more recent discussions have demonstrated important distinctions among groups of nonvoters, some have little to say about the relationship between the institutional structure of electoral participation and individual behavior (Conway and Hughes 1993, Marchant-Shapiro 1994, Ragsdale and Rusk 1993). Merriam and Gosnell's seminal work, however, implies that the structural context in which electoral decisions take place may play an important role in citizen's calculi. This article presents a systematic analysis of these forces to gain further insight into electoral participation.
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