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Partisan Cross‐Pressure and Voter Turnout: The Influence of Micro and Macro Environments *
Author(s) -
Bélanger Paul,
Eagles Munroe
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
social science quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.482
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1540-6237
pISSN - 0038-4941
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-6237.2007.00486.x
Subject(s) - voter turnout , turnout , homogeneous , multilevel model , citizen journalism , variety (cybernetics) , presidential system , census , macro , political science , demographic economics , ethnic group , econometrics , sociology , voting , economics , demography , politics , statistics , computer science , population , physics , mathematics , law , thermodynamics , programming language
Objectives. This article explores the impact of the partisan homogeneity/heterogeneity of a variety of group environments on patterns of voter turnout for recent presidential elections in Erie County, New York. Methods. Using multilevel methods (HLM) with data drawn from voter registration files and Census sources, we simultaneously estimate the independent and joint effects on turnout of a variety of the nested contexts inhabited by individuals. Results. Our analysis uncovers strong evidence that politically homogeneous households reinforce participatory behaviors, but that this effect is also conditioned by the partisan complexion of their district environment. Conclusions. We also demonstrate that contextual influences from both households and neighborhoods are stronger for members of the partisan minority.