Rational Choice Theories of Voting

This lecture was given in PS 240 on October 6th and continued on October 8th.

Possible exam question

• Explain the "rational choice theory of voting"

• Discuss the five requirements of rational choice and the assumptions inherent within.

Lecture Material

Cost and Benefit

Each potential outcome has a benefit and a cost. Utility, the difference between choices, is equal to the benefits minus the cost. If the costs of an action outweigh the benefits of that same action, a person will not do that thing. If the costs of voting outweigh the benefits of voting, it is irrational to vote

Anthony Downs' An Economic Theory of Democracy

• Rational action: to proceed in such a way to use up the lease scarce resources possible per unit of desired output to the best knowledge of the individual (minimizing use of scarce resources, maximizing benefits)
• If costs outweigh benefits, the choice is irrational
• Because every action has a benefit and a cost, in order to determine the best decision, one would choose the action with the highest net benefit
• Restricts rational choice theory to economic and political motivations
• "D term" is the civic duty to vote (reduces costs of voting, does not impact how people vote, rather if they vote at all)
• According to this theory, Utility = Benefits - costs + D

Standards of Rationality

• Able to make a decision if presented with options
• Rank order of preferences
• Transitive preferences
• Choose most preferred option
• Same decisions made time and time again

Assumptions of Rational Choice

• People know what they want
• People understand the implications of the outcomes
• People apply the same criteria over time

Rational Choice Theory

There are several Issues disproving it as one can change the inputs to get the right explanation and therefore it can never be "wrong."

Possible Solutions to rational choice theory

• No cost of voting (Partially untrue, voting is costless, although registering can add up.)
• Cost of voting prohibitive (There is no evidence of people suffering from not voting.)
• Save democracy (long-term cost) (No evidence)
• Selective benefits, a "good" feeling from voting, civic duty, solidarity, expression of opinion (This is inconsistent with Downs, he believe rational choice only applied to economical and political reasoning and that psychological/emotional reasoning do not come into play.)

Parties are Essential

• They make it easier for voters by providing information shortcut, lowering the cost of voting, learning about candidates
• They have no social aims (in real ideology in Downsian view).
• They are economic animals seeking power/control. Therefore parties must respond to voter preferences and provide a measure of expected utility (what you’ll get if they win)
• Overtime, two distinct but relatively centric parties make modest changes to maintain stability
• Party in power tends to not shift as much
• “Voters” always changing, people come of age, die, thus parties change to accommodate new makeup of preferences
• Group of people who consistently don’t vote lay between ideological positions of parties.
• Always irrational for these people to vote according to Downs because either party presents the same benefit, thus costs always greater.