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ABSTRACT
Experiments designed as an election simulation involve participants in an investigation of strategic voting. Participants assigned political preferences and informed of candidate/party positions on an ideological dimension respond to and learn the results of two public opinion polls before voting. When given two alternatives, the participants vote sincerely. Confronted with three or more alternatives, participants make tactical decisions to narrow the field. Strategic behavior quickly reduces the number of alternatives to two. Consistent with Duverger's law, candidate/party viability encourages strategic voting and the development of a two-party system. The election simulation serves as a useful tool to teach about electoral behavior and to explore topics such as strategic voting.
How can we recognize and measure strategic voting in a large electorate? Although we may suspect that candidate or party viability influences voters' decisions in elections, it is difficult to show objectively when a voter does not vote sincerely. Moreover, strategic calculations may influence more than simply who wins a particular election. Duverger's law suggests that incentives for strategic voting may be responsible for the development of the national party system. While strategic behavior may occur and produce such effects, it is difficult to persuade a skeptical student without further evidence.
We designed a role-playing simulation for students in undergraduate classes to identify and to measure strategic voting. In the experiment, participants act as voters in a mass election. Each participant is given an ideological preference (ideal point), and the ideological positions of candidates/parties are assigned and fixed. The only new information introduced to participants during the experiment is the likelihood that each candidate/party has to win the election. Instrumental strategic voting can be shown to exist under the conditions of this election simulation.
For many voters, the source of information about the viability of parties or candidates is from shared information such as public opinion polls reported in the mass media. It is widely assumed that voters use horserace information as an evaluation of the likelihood that candidates and parties will be elected and alter vote choice accordingly. Demonstrating this phenomenon, however, can be difficult. Is it electoral viability that influences voter decisions? Or are there other factors responsible, such as more information on candidate issues, experience and personality, persuasion, group mobilization, political...