First published in 1976, this classic volume of original essays provides a unique and comprehensive review of the approaches and assumptions that dominate the field of election studies and voting behaviour. Critical reviews of theory and established research are combined with innovative and original studies of a variety of European countries, as well as North America. The volume presents valuable comparative data and methodological insights, including statistical analyses of voting data and critical accounts of major approaches to the representation of voting and party competition. These include party identification (the socio-psychological approach); dimensional analysis (the production of party spaces based on social and political cleavages); and rational choice analysis (the interaction between voters and parties within a policy space). This edition includes a new introduction by Ian Budge.
Ian Budge is a research profesor in the Department of Government at the University of Essex. He has made major contributions both to cumulative research on democracy and to organizational developments in the discipline. His earliest research on Glasgow and Belfast focused on causes of democratic breakdown. After a period of studying elections, voting behavior, and party competition, he turned to public policy and how it might become responsive to popular preferencesa central democratic dilemma. His research covers both direct and representative democracy.
Sir Ivor Crewe is the master of University College, Oxford. He is a former vice-chancellor of the University of Essex and president of Universities UK. His work concerns British politics, especially elections, parties, and public opinion. He directed the British Election Study from 1973 to 1981 and has edited the British Journal of Political Science.
Dennis J. Farlie is a mathematical statistician who has served a director of the ESRC Social Science Data Archive at the University of Essex and chairman of its Department of Mathematics. He has collaborated with Ian Budge on several applications of Bayesian statistics to political science data, covering voting, election predictions, and political careers.
Ian Budge is Emeritus Professor in the Department of Government at the University of Essex. He has made major contributions both to cumulative research on democracy and to organizational developments in the discipline. His earliest research on Glasgow and Belfast focused on causes of democratic breakdown. After a period of studying elections, voting behavior, and party competition, he turned to public policy and how it might become responsive to popular preferences ù a central democratic dilemma. His research covers both direct and representative democracy.
Sir Ivor Crewe is the Master of University College. Oxford. He is a former vice-chancellor of the University of Essex and president of Universities UK. His work covers British politics, especially elections, parties. and public opinion. He directed the British Election Study from 1973 to 1981 and has edited the British Journal of Political Science.
Dennis J. Farlie is a mathematical statistician who has served a director of the ESRC Social Science Data Archive at the University of Essex and chairman of its Department of Mathematics. He has collaborated with Ian Budge on several applications of Bayesian statistics to political science data, covering voting, election predictions, and political careers.
