A compendium of academic survey studies of elections around the world, update 1 (original) (raw)
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A compendium of academic survey studies of elections around the world
Electoral Studies, 1985
Over the last decade or two, academic survey studies of elections have moved from the preserve of a small, select band of researchers in a few countries to frequent, large-scale efforts involving numerous faculty and students in well over a dozen countries. While this development was taking place, it also became customary for researchers to share their data with others, typically after an initial period of exclusive use. Thus, the number of extant data sets has increased considerably, but that growth pales by comparison with the increased secondary analysis of electoral studies. For a time, these changes created no difficulty for those interested in secondary research. The number of available data sets was still sufficiently small that one could relatively easily keep track of them in one's head. By the time this became impossible, in the mid-to-late 196Os, archives-most notably the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) in the United States and a number of national archives in Europe-had begun operation. The record-keeping problem was again solved for a time. Archives kept track of virtually all election studies in the United States and many of those done elsewhere. Both their lists of data and the data sets themselves were made readily available to secondary users. By the late 197Os, however, even the numerous archives' efforts seemed inadequate. The number of potentially-available data sets increased many-fold, making it impossible for any single archive to store and process them all. Archives in a number of countries gathered vast amounts of data from national studies, but no single archive could maintain an overview of everything available. Studies also became larger and more complex, meaning that it was sometimes years before the original investigators were ready to release the data for general use even though the existence of these studies was fairly widely known. At the same time, l We would like to thank the numerous individuals who provided us with information needed to prepare this paper.
The future of election studies: Introduction
2002
It has been virtually 50 years since the first election study was conducted in the United States. Since that time we have extensively studied voting behavior and election outcomes in a large and growing number of countries. Studying elections and electoral behavior has required us to learn, first and foremost, how to conduct election studies; and it is certainly true that we have learned a lot about how to do this. But there is always more to learn. What problems still remain? Perhaps most importantly, what changes in the design and conduct of election studies show promise of opening up new avenues of research or of improving the way in which research opportunities are grasped?
The future of election studies
2002
It has been virtually 50 years since the first election study was conducted in the United States. Since that time we have extensively studied voting behavior and election outcomes in a large and growing number of countries. Studying elections and electoral behavior has required us to learn, first and foremost, how to conduct election studies; and it is certainly true that we have learned a lot about how to do this. But there is always more to learn. What problems still remain? Perhaps most importantly, what changes in the design and conduct of election studies show promise of opening up new avenues of research or of improving the way in which research opportunities are grasped?
ELECTORAL STUDIES: UNDERSTANDING SOME RESEARCH PROBLEMS
This paper discusses the problems researchers experience in conducting electoral research. One approach researchers use in conducting electoral studies is quantitative with the use of empirical data while another approach would be qualitative. Researchers show preference for mixed methods, incorporating both the quantitative and qualitative approaches as the research areas have become more complex. A proper method selection is required and the nature of the research problem identified. The methods used would depend on the objective of the study, the resources and the expertise available. One research area using quantitative research is Agenda Setting that used survey and content analysis. Agenda setting studies the effects of the media on public opinion to explain for political behaviour. Public opinion would require the use of survey as a form of methodology to seek what people perceive of current issues and what issues were deemed important when making voting decisions. Using scales in conducting longitudinal research would obtain a more meaningful perspective.
An Update on the National Election Studies
PS: Political Science and Politics, 1994
, the National Science Foundation announced a four-year extension of its long-term funding of the National Election Studies (NES). To mark this occasion, we want to update the social science community on recent developments within NES, inform you about planning activities and data collections that will unfold over the next few years, and invite you to participate in this collaborative effort.
Analysis of Elections: Trends and Lessons Learned
With this paper, we hope that election discussions and analyses enter a new stage in Kosovo. After some major advances for our democracy – open lists and the direct elections of mayor – we can now assess their effects and move further on. Longer time is needed to assess effects properly, however, debate is needed. Reforms should be seen as a permanent struggle to improve governance in terms of representation and accountability. While they have been very popular, open lists have been somewhat disappointing for they have not had the full effect that some expected at the central level. However, democracy is making advances, especially at the local level. While the effects appear limited, there are all the right ingredients to inform further reforms. This paper has attempted to build up on a previous publication by KIPRED and make further break-down of electoral trends. The biggest addition was the analysis of perceptions which sheds light and explains some of the voter dynamics. One negative by-product is that the last reforms have further strengthened party hierarchy. The combination of open lists with a single district has arguably made leaders even more powerful than they were with closed lists, a move in the wrong direction. The paper also explored a number of organizational issues that require improvement as well as worrying disassociation of women with politics, calling for specific outreach programs to address this matter. The paper ends with a list of recommendations, from transitional issues that require new institutional set-up, systemic aspects such as the introduction of districts or lowering of the threshold. There are also several recommendations pertaining to technical aspects, although follow-up studies will need.
Cross-National Surveys and the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems
Oxford University Press eBooks, 2016
This chapter examines the development of cross-national survey research in political science and the challenges that it brings. Cross-national surveys have proliferated across the globe and arguably now form one of the most important frontiers in the development of survey research in political science. Cross-national comparison allows researchers to investigate the importance of institutional and cultural contexts that shape public opinion and political behavior. The chapter traces the development of such instruments for the purposes of comparative analysis in political science, in the context of more general developments in polling and survey research. As an example, it focuses on the case of the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems (CSES), an international collaboration active since 1996, examining the development of the project and evaluating issues such as cross-cultural equivalence in questionnaire design, survey mode and response rates, and case selection.
Too often, a gulf separates academic political science and popular commentary on politics by journalists, practitioners, and interested citizens. Both scholars and pundits are keenly interested in what is required of citizens by democracies, and whether the public is informed and interested enough to play its part. Academic research can seem narrow or irrelevant as a consequence of a scientific, hypothesis-testing mindset and a concomitant tendency for questions to be narrowly defined and conclusions heavily qualified. Yet, quantitative academic work on elections should be of interest not only to the small community of professional psephologists, but to the broad citizenry. To build that case, I discuss scholarly work on voter turnout and, very briefly, anti-incumbent swings in "moderating elections" as examples where research on American and German elections demonstrates useful complementarities for number crunchers and newshounds.
The magic called elections: polls, performance and citizenship
Culture and Politics in South Asia Performative Communication, 2018
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2018 selection and editorial matter, Dev Nath Pathak and Sasanka Perera; individual chapters, the contributors The right of Dev Nath Pathak and Sasanka Perera to be identified as the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.