Experimental Evidence on Voting Rationality and Decision Framing
Journal
經濟論文叢刊
Journal Volume
30
Journal Issue
2
Pages
247-272
Date Issued
2002
Author(s)
Hsu, Li-chen
Abstract
Electorate sizes of 20, 40, and 70 subjects are used (0 test the paradox of voter turnout. Payoff schemes are designed to induce subjects to vote instrumentally. Our experimental evidence indicates that subjects do vote instrumentally, bur instrumental voting may lot fully explain voter turnouts in some real elections. In addition, theoretical studies associated with instrumental voting, e.g., the expected utility maximization model, the minimax regret model, and game-theoretic models cannot successfully explain the resulting voter turnouts. Our experimental evidence also shows that subjects are more willing to vote when the situation is framed as one in which they will lose something if they make wrong decisions rather Ian one in which they will gain something if they make right decisions, but only in relatively small sizes of electorates. This suggests that as the subject perceives himself to be less pivotal, the asymmetric incentive attributable to framing provides less influence on his voting decisions.
Subjects
決策架構
實驗
投票率的工具理論
decision framing
experiments
instrumental theory of voter turnout
Type
journal article