Governments are increasingly publishing information about the performance of the services they provide, in part to help citizens hold their elected representatives accountable for government service outcomes. Yet there is little evidence concerning the influence of information about government service performance on voter behavior. This paper…

The passage of a school bond can determine the direction of a district for many years to come (Faltys, 2006). Upkeep of older facilities and the building of new facilities can have an impact on instruction, teacher job satisfaction, student achievement, and perceptions toward the district (Moore, 2003). Despite the fact there is often state money…

Proposes that political candidates, particularly those running for lesser offices, be required to make their party affiliation visible. This would protect the voter from misrepresentation and help stop the erosion of political parties. (CK)

Considers the consequences of taking political blunders seriously as central objects of electoral discourse. Explores gaffes as possible degradation rituals and as contributions to the definition of the electoral process and to the information needs of voters who must make decisions within that process. (PD)

Relationships between perceived voter use of information sources and perceived source credibility and gubernatorial candidate preference were examined in a cross-lagged correlation design employing data from Illinois primary and general election surveys. The only significant test-retest correlation for source use and believability was for…

Studies the effects of source valence, including source credibility, attraction, and homophyly, on voter preference in a Florida Democratic primary election campaign. Indicates that attitude homophyly is an excellent predictor of voter preference. (JMF)

Using stepwise multiple regression, voting behavior was predicted from semantic differential scale evaluations of the winning candidate in four voting situations: the 1972 Presidential race in Illinois and Missouri and the gubernatorial races in the two states. "Image" was defined in terms of the semantic differential scales, and "image voters"…

A study was conducted to examine the evaluative criteria or schemata that voters use in making decisions about competing candidates. More specifically, the study sought to determine (1) whether the criteria that voters employ differ between the candidates, and (2) the relative importance of various candidate-specific criteria in the voting…

Presents a thoughtful and balanced analysis of the effects of public opinion polling on elections and the political power structure. Generally refutes the revisionist criticism that polling acts as a preemptive strike curtailing political expression in favor of the power elite. Considers issues related to the tyranny of the majority. (MJP)