|
Books > Social sciences > Psychology > Philosophy & theory of psychology > Behavioural theory (Behaviourism)
Compulsory voting is widely used in the democratic world, and it is
well established that it increases electoral participation. Beyond
Turnout: How Compulsory Voting Shapes Citizens and Political
Parties assesses the effects of compulsory voting beyond turnout.
Singh first summarizes the normative arguments for and against
compulsory voting, provides information on its contemporary use,
reviews recent events pertaining to its (proposed) adoption and
abolition, and provides an extensive account of extant research on
its consequences. He then advances a theory that compulsory voting
polarizes behavior and attitudes, and broadens gaps in political
sophistication levels, among those with negative and positive
orientations toward democracy. Recognizing the impact of mandatory
voting on the electorate, political parties then alter the ways in
which they seek votes, with mainstream parties moderating their
platforms and smaller parties taking more extreme positions. Singh
uses survey data from countries with compulsory voting to show that
support for the requirement to vote is driven by individuals'
orientations toward democracy. The theory is then comprehensively
tested using: cross-national data; cross-cantonal data from
Switzerland; and survey data from Argentina. Empirical results are
largely indicative of the theorized process whereby compulsory
voting has divergent effects on citizens and political parties. The
book concludes with a discussion of future directions for academic
research, implications for those who craft electoral policy, and
alternative ways of boosting turnout. Comparative Politics is a
series for researchers, teachers, and students of political science
that deals with contemporary government and politics. Global in
scope, books in the series are characterised by a stress on
comparative analysis and strong methodological rigour. The series
is published in association with the European Consortium for
Political Research. For more information visit: www.ecprnet.eu. The
series is edited by Susan Scarrow, Chair of the Department of
Political Science, University of Houston, and Jonathan Slapin,
Professor of Political Institutions and European Politics,
Department of Political Science, University of Zurich.
This volume brings together the works of those who have studied
Fairbairn's ideas most closely. The papers are expository,
exploratory and illustrative and cover all aspects of his life,
work and influence; contributors include the most eminent students
of Fairbairn in both Britain and the USA.
|
|