Macro-level analyses of voter behaviour

Abstract

ABSTRACT Our understanding of culture and public policy can arguably become richer with additional research that makes use of behavioural perspectives and tools. In this manuscript, we provide an example of how behavioural assessments can be conducted at the meso-/macro-level for such analyses. In particular, we analyzed historical voting data with interrupted time series designs by using aggregated behaviour as the dependent measure. The first analysis used a multiple-baseline design and t-tests to evaluate compulsory voting laws on voter turnout, the second used scatterplots and regression analysis to evaluate the relation between registered voter density to polling stations and voter turnout, and the final used a repeated A-B design and t-tests to evaluate how party control duration influenced voting. We identified several factors that might prove influential over voter turnout. This research yields information related to electoral public policy and behavioural methodology for groups, and calls for more behaviour-analytic research and application in public policy and cultural design.