The Myth of the Independent VoterUniversity of California Press, 17 giu 1992 - 244 pagine Few events in American politics over the past two decades have generated more attention than the increasing number of voters calling themselves Independent. By the early 1970s Independents outnumbered Republicans, according to many eminent experts on voting behavior. Yet the authors of this incisive new commentary on American politics claim that most of this widespread speculation on declining party affiliation is simply wrong. They contend that most so-called Independents lean strongly toward one of the two parties and resemble—in all important respects—either Democrats or Republicans. Contrary to expert opinion, only a small segment of voters are truly "independent" of either major party. Based on the most up-to-date 1990 data, The Myth of the Independent Voter provides a roadmap of the political arena for the general reader and scholar alike. Debunking conventional wisdom about voting patterns and allaying recent concerns about electoral stability and possible third party movements, the authors uncover faulty polling practices that have resulted in a skewed sense of the American voting population. Demonstrating that most of what has been written about Independents for more than thirty years is myth, this challenging book offers a trenchant new understanding of the party system, voting behavior, and public opinion. |
Sommario
Partisanship and Independence | 1 |
Partisan Shifts among Blacks and Southerners | 26 |
The Civic Virtue of Partisans and Independents | 38 |
How Independents Vote | 60 |
Partisans or Independents? | 76 |
Age Education and Dealignment | 112 |
Issues and Dealignment | 136 |
Alienation and Independence | 169 |
Alternatives | 179 |
Conclusions | 197 |
Items in the National Election Studies Alienation Indexes | 205 |
207 | |
217 | |
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age group alienation American Journal American Political Science American Voter analysis attitudes blacks campaign Campbell change in party chapter civic virtue Cohort crats dealignment decline Demo Democratic leaners Democratic party dents electorate ence findings Ibid identifica Inde Indep Independent Democrats Independent Republicans issues Jack Dennis John Journal of Political leaners and Pure less liberal measure ment Michigan Miller Nixon outright partisans partisan Independents partisanship party identification Party Support pendents percent of Weak Petrocik Philip Philip Converse Philip E political parties Political Science Review Pomper presidential elections proportion Pure Independents question relationship Republican leaners Republican party respondents sample scholars Sidney Verba Southern stability Strong Democrats strong partisans Strong Republicans tion trend turnout University Press V. O. Key Vernon Bogdanor Vietnam vote choice voting behavior Walter Dean Burnham Warren E Wattenberg Weak Democrats weak identifiers weak partisans Weak Republicans William Schneider York young