Section 2
Why People Vote
Book
Version 13
By Boundless
By Boundless
Boundless Political Science
Political Science
by Boundless
6 concepts
Socioeconomic Factors
Depending on socioeconomic factors like wealth, education, or occupation, people are more or less likely to vote.
Additional Factors: Gender, Age, Religion, Race, and Ethnicity
Certain factors like age, gender, race, and religion help describe why people vote and who is more likely to vote.
Party Identification
Some people are motivated to vote because they identify very strongly with one party.
Political Ideology
People can be motivated to vote based on their political ideology, or how they think government, economy, and society should be structured.
The Candidates
Oftentimes, people vote based on specific candidate's characteristics, experiences, or likeability.
Policy Preferences
In some elections, voters are motivated to vote a certain way based on specific policy preferences, which is called issue voting.