PLS 304 Lecture Notes - Lecture 47: Wedge Issue, Parliamentary Procedure
Document Summary
Prospective voting: basing voting decisions on well-informed opinions and consideration of the future consequences of a given vote. Retrospective voting: basing voting decisions on reactions to past performance; approving the status quo or signaling a desire for change. Is the biggest factor accounting for how people vote. Indirectly influences the vote by affecting the perception of issues and candidate evaluations. Valence issue an issue on which most voters and candidates share the same positive. Position issue: an issue on which the parties differ in their perspectives and proposed solutions. Wedge issue a controversial issue that one party uses to split the voters in the other party. Issue ownership: the tendency of one party to be seen as more competent in a specific policy area. Voters form clear opinions about candidate qualities that are relevant to governing. Voters perceive differences between candidates on issues and on how they would handle aspects of presidency.
