This study will be concerned with the reasons that people vote the way they do. This is a significant topic because it helps to explain the processes of voting behavior. This type of information is important not only for political analysts, but for the general public as well. There is little question that politics play an important role in the maintenance of society. In a democratic society, voting is the key to determining the style and manner in which the government will be run. It is for this reason that research into voting decisions is so vital. Various theories have been advanced to explain voter choices. There is some evidence to support the view that opinion polls, campaign funding, and media presence all play a role in influencing voters. However, there is more evidence to support the view that set opinions and party affiliations are the primary determining factors. The purpose of this research is to examine the thesis that people vote the way they do because of their pre-established political opinions. It is hypothesized that people make voting decisions on the basis of the extent to which a particular candidate or issue agrees or disagrees with these pre-set views. It is further hypothesized that party affiliation provides a fairly accurate guideline to these views.
Previous research has been conducted which helps provide a theoretical framework for the present study. This research has indicated that there are a variety of factors which influence voting decisions. In this regard, Campbell & Sumners (1990) have noted a decline in the importance of partisanship in recent years. Nevertheless, they have also found evidence for the influence of "presidential coattails" in statewide Senatorial elections (p. 520). In other words, local votes for Senators often reflect the partisanship of the most recently elected national president. Therefore, this research shows support for the continued importance of party af...