The Myth of the Independent Voter

by Keith, Bruce E.; Magleby, David B.; Nelson, Candice J.; Orr, Elizabeth; Westlye, Mark C.

• ISBN13: 9780520077201
• ISBN10: 0520077202
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1992-06-01
• Publisher: Univ of California Pr on Demand

Summary

Few events in American politics over the past two decades have generated more attention than the increasing number of voters calling themselves Independent. By the early 1970s Independents outnumbered Republicans, according to many eminent experts on voting behavior. Yet the authors of this incisive new commentary on American politics claim that most of this widespread speculation on declining party affiliation is simply wrong. They contend that most so-called Independents lean strongly toward one of the two parties and resemble--in all important respects--either Democrats or Republicans. Contrary to expert opinion, only a small segment of voters are truly "independent" of either major party. Based on the most up-to-date 1990 data,The Myth of the Independent Voterprovides a roadmap of the political arena for the general reader and scholar alike. Debunking conventional wisdom about voting patterns and allaying recent concerns about electoral stability and possible third party movements, the authors uncover faulty polling practices that have resulted in a skewed sense of the American voting population. Demonstrating that most of what has been written about Independents for more than thirty years is myth, this challenging book offers a trenchant new understanding of the party system, voting behavior, and public opinion.

Table of Contents

List of Figures
List of Tables
Preface
Partisanship and Independence	p. 1
Partisan Shifts among Blacks and Southerners	p. 26
The Civic Virtue of Partisans and Independents	p. 38
How Independents Vote	p. 60
Partisans or Independents?	p. 76
Age, Education, and Dealignment	p. 112
Issues and Dealignment	p. 136
Alienation and Independence	p. 169
Alternatives	p. 179
Conclusions	p. 197
Appendix: Items in the National Election Studies Alienation Indexes	p. 205
Bibliography	p. 207
Index	p. 217
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