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The Political Implications of Higher Turnout

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  • HIGHTON, BENJAMIN
  • WOLFINGER, RAYMOND E.

Abstract

Rich Americans, far more likely to vote than their poorer fellow citizens, also differ in how they vote and what policies they favour. These undisputed facts lead to the widespread belief ‘that if everybody in this country voted, the Democrats would be in for the next 100 years.’ The gist of this conclusion, which seems to follow ineluctably from our opening sentence, is accepted by almost everyone except a few empirical political scientists. Their analyses of survey data show that no objectively achieved increase in turnout – including compulsory voting – would be a boon to progressive causes or Democratic candidates. Simply put, voters' preferences differ minimally from those of all citizens; outcomes would not change if everyone voted. John Kenneth Galbraith, Interview in California Monthly, February 1986, p. 11.

Suggested Citation

  • Highton, Benjamin & Wolfinger, Raymond E., 2001. "The Political Implications of Higher Turnout," British Journal of Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 31(1), pages 179-223, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:bjposi:v:31:y:2001:i:01:p:179-223_21
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    Cited by:

    1. André Blais & Eric Guntermann & Vincent Arel-Bundock & Ruth Dassonneville & Jean-François Laslier & Gabrielle Péloquin-Skulski, 2020. "Party Preference Representation," PSE Working Papers halshs-02946659, HAL.
    2. Russell Weaver, 2015. "Can Voter Identification Laws Increase Electoral Participation in the United States? Probably Not—A Simple Model of the Voting Market," SAGE Open, , vol. 5(2), pages 21582440155, April.
    3. Fernanda Leite Lopez Leon & Renata Rizzi, 2016. "Does forced voting result in political polarization?," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 166(1), pages 143-160, January.
    4. Lisa Hill, 2006. "Low Voter Turnout in the United States," Journal of Theoretical Politics, , vol. 18(2), pages 207-232, April.
    5. John E. Mcnulty, 2005. "Phone-Based GOTV—What’s on the Line? Field Experiments with Varied Partisan Components, 2002-2003," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 601(1), pages 41-65, September.

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