Breux, Sandra 
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1554-0125; Couture, Jérôme et Goodman, Nicole
(2017).
Fewer voters, higher stakes? The applicability of rational choice for voter turnout in Quebec municipalities
Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space
, vol. 35
, nº 6.
pp. 990-1009.
DOI: 10.1177/0263774X16676272.
Résumé
Municipal voter turnout is often considered to be a function of electorate size. According to the rational choice theory of voter behavior, a rational voter is more inclined to abstain in the presence of larger electorates, and more likely to participate in smaller ones. This article examines the impact of electorate size on voter turnout using a multivariate regression model to explain voter participation in Quebec municipalities in the 2009 and 2013 local elections (N = 1040). Several other assumptions pertaining to the rational voter are also tested. We find that rational choice theory explains 45% of municipal voter participation in these Quebec elections and that it supports the probability of pivotal voting. Our analysis also confirms that the number of electors, number of mayoral candidates, tax rate, presence of a political party, and incumbency have different effects on participation in small and large municipalities.
| Type de document: | Article |
|---|---|
| Mots-clés libres: | Elections; local government; local politics; municipalities |
| Centre: | Centre Urbanisation Culture Société |
| Date de dépôt: | 19 juill. 2017 21:32 |
| Dernière modification: | 21 févr. 2022 17:03 |
| URI: | https://espace.inrs.ca/id/eprint/5833 |
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