Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-94fs2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-12T22:27:35.922Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Income, Electoral Turnout, and Partisan Voting in Taiwan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 January 2016

Wen-Chun Chang
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Using data drawn from the Taiwan Social Change Survey, I investigate how citizens' incomes affect turnout and partisan voting. In contrast to studies of other countries, I find that lower-income voters are not less likely to turn out in Taiwan. Moreover, although income does not have strong effects on patterns of partisan voting in Taiwan, there is some evidence that people with income levels just below the middle-income group are less likely to vote for the left-wing party

Keywords

incomeelectoral turnoutpartisan votingTaiwan
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of East Asian Studies , Volume 14 , Issue 3 , December 2014 , pp. 347 - 376
Copyright
Copyright © East Asia Institute 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alesina, Alberto, and Glaeser, Edward L.. 2004. Fighting Poverty in the U.S. and Europe: A World of Difference. New York: Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Alesina, Alberto, Londregan, John, and Rosenthal, Howard. 1993. “A Model of the Political Economy of the United States.” American Political Science Review 87:12–33.Google Scholar
Anderson, Christopher J., and Beramendi, Pablo. 2008. “Income, Inequality, and Electoral Participation.” In Democracy, Inequality, and Representation: A Comparative Perspective , ed. Beramendi, Pablo and Anderson, Christopher J., 278–311. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.Google Scholar
Anderson, Christopher J., and Beramendi, Pablo. 2012. “Left Parties, Poor Voters, and Electoral Participation in Advanced Industrial Societies.” Comparative Political Studies 45, 6: 714–746.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ansolabehere, Stephen, de Figueiredo, John M., and Snyder, James M. Jr. 2003. “Why Is There So Little Money in U.S. Politics?” Journal of Economic Perspectives 17, 1: 105–130.Google Scholar
Bachrach, Peter, and Baratz, Morton S.. 1970. Power and Poverty: Theory and Practice. London: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Bartels, Larry M. 2008. Unequal Democracy: The Political Economy of the New Gilded Age. Princeton, NJ: Russell Sage Foundation and Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Benabou, Roland. 2000. “Unequal Societies: Income Distribution and the Social Contract.” American Economic Review 90, 1: 96–129.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blais, Andre. 2006. “What Affects Voter Turnout?” Annual Review of Political Science 9, 1: 111–125.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bradley, David, Huber, Evelyne, Moller, Stephanie, Nielsen, François, and Stephens, John D.. 2003. “Distribution and Redistribution in Postindustrial Democracies.” World Politics 55, 2: 193–228.Google Scholar
Brady, Henry. 2004. “An Analytical Perspective on Participatory Inequality and Income Inequality.” In Social Inequality , ed. Neckerman, K. M.. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.Google Scholar
Brunner, Eric J., and Ross, Stephen L.. 2010. “Is the Median Voter Decisive? Evidence from Referenda Voting Patterns.” Journal of Public Economics 94:898–910.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brunner, Eric J., Ross, Stephen L., and Washington, Ebonya L.. 2011. “Does Less Income Mean Less Representation?” NBER Working Paper No. 16835.Google Scholar
Campbell, Angus, Converse, Philip E., Miller, Warren E., Strokes, Donald E.. 1960. The American Voter. . New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Campbell, Angus, Converse, Philip E., Miller, Warren E., Strokes, Donald E.. 1966. Elections and the Political Order. . New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Citrin, Jack, Schickler, Eric, and Sides, John. 2003. “What if Everyone Votes? Simulating the Impact of Increased Turnout in Senate Elections.” American Journal of Political Science 47, 1: 75–90.Google Scholar
Clark, Andrew, and D'Angelo, Emanuela. 2010. “Upward Social Mobility, Well-Being, and Political Preferences: Evidence from the BHPS.” Working Paper, Paris School of Economics.Google Scholar
Conover, Pamela Johnston, Feldman, Stanley, and Knight, Kathleen. 1986. “Judging Inflation and Unemployment: The Origins of Retrospective Evaluations.” Journal of Politics 48:565–588.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Corcoran, Sean, and Evans, William N.. 2010. “Income Inequality, the Median Voter, and the Support for Public Education.” NBER Working Paper No. 16097.Google Scholar
Corneo, Giacomo, and Grüner, Hans Peter. 2000. “Social Limits to Redistribution.” American Economic Review 90, 5: 1491–1507.Google Scholar
Dahl, Robert A. 2006. On Political Equality. . New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.Google Scholar
Dalton, Russell J. 2004. Democratic Challenges, Democratic Choices: The Erosion of Political Support in Advanced Industrial Democracies. . New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
De Graaf, , Dirk, Nan, Nieuwbeerta, Paul, and Heath, Anthony. 1995. “Class Mobility and Political Preferences: Individual and Contextual Effects.” American Journal of Sociology 100, 4: 997–1027.Google Scholar
De Koster, Willem, Achterberg, Peter, and van der Waal, Jeroen. 2013. “The New Right and the Welfare State: The Electoral Relevance of Welfare Chauvinism and Welfare Populism in the Netherlands.” International Political Science Review 34, 1: 3–20.Google Scholar
Duch, Raymond M., and Stevenson, Randy. 2005. “Context and the Economic Vote: A Multilevel Analysis.” Political Analysis 13, 4: 387–409.Google Scholar
Feldman, Stanley. 1982. “Economic Self-Interest and Political Behavior.” American Journal of Political Science 26:446–466.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Franko, William, Tolbert, Caroline J., and Witko, Christopher. 2013. “Inequality, Self-Interest, and Public Support for ‘Robin Hood’ Tax Policies.” Political Research Quarterly 66, 4: 923–937.Google Scholar
Galbraith, James K., and Hale, J. Travis. 2008. “State Income Inequality and Presidential Election Turnout and Outcomes.” Social Science Quarterly 89, 4: 887–901.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gallego, Aina. 2007. “Unequal Political Participation in Europe.” International Journal of Sociology 37, 4: 10–25.Google Scholar
Gallego, Aina. 2010. “Understanding Unequal Turnout: Education and Voting in Comparative Perspective.” Electoral Studies 29:239–248.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gallego, Aina, Rico, Guillem, and Anduiza, Eva. 2012. “Disproportionality and Voter Turnout in New and Old Democracies.” Electoral Studies 31:159–169.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gaventa, John. 1980. Power and Powerlessness: Quiescence and Rebellion in an Appalachian Valley. . Urbana: University of Illinois Press.Google Scholar
Gelman, Andrew, Kenworthy, Lane, and Su, Yu-Sung. 2010. “Income Inequality and Partisan Voting in the United States.” Social Science Quarterly 91, 5: 1203–1219.Google Scholar
Gerber, Alan S., and Huber, Gregory A.. 2009. “Partisanship and Economic Behavior: Do Partisan Differences in Economic Forecasts Predict Real Economic Behavior?” American Political Science Review 103, 3: 407–426.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gijsberts, Mérove, and Nieuwbeerta, Paul. 2000. “Class Cleavages in Party Preferences in the New Democracies in Eastern Europe: A Comparison with Western Democracies.” European Societies 2, 4: 397–430.Google Scholar
Gilens, Martin. 2005. “Inequality and Democratic Responsiveness.” Public Opinion Quarterly 69, 5: 778–796.Google Scholar
Gomez, Brad T., and Wilson, J. Matthew. 2006. “Cognitive Heterogeneity and Economic Voting: A Comparative Analysis of Four Democratic Electorates.” American Journal of Political Science 50, 1: 127–145.Google Scholar
Goodin, Robert, and Dryzek, John. 1980. “Rational Participation: The Politics of Relative Power.” British Journal of Political Science 10, 3: 273–292.Google Scholar
Gray, Mark, and Caul, Miki. 2000. “Declining Voter Turnout in Advanced Industrial Democracies, 1950–1997.” Comparative Political Studies 33, 9: 1091–1122.Google Scholar
Hacker, Jacob S., and Pierson, Paul. 2010. “Winner-Take-All Politics: Public Policy, Political Organization, and the Precipitous Rise of Top Incomes in the United States.” Politics and Society 38, 2: 152–204.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hibbs, Douglas A. Jr. 1987. The American Political Economy. . Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Horn, Daniel. 2011. “Income Inequality and Voter Turnout.” Gini Discussion Paper 16.Google Scholar
Iversen, Torben, and Soskice, David. 2006. “Electoral Institutions and the Politics of Coalitions: Why Some Democracies Redistribute More than Others.” American Political Science Review 100, 2: 165–181.Google Scholar
Jackman, Simon. 2003. “Political Parties and Electoral Behavior.” In Cambridge Handbook of the Social Sciences in Australia , ed. McAllister, I., Dowrick, S., and Hassan, R.. Melbourne: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Jaime-Castillo, Antonio M. 2009. “Economic Inequality and Electoral Participation: A Cross-Country Evaluation.” Comparative Study of Electoral Systems (CSES) Conference and Plenary Session. Toronto, September 6.Google Scholar
Jou, Willy. 2011. “How Do Citizens in East Asian Democracies Understand Left and Right?” Japanese Journal of Political Science 12, 1: 33–55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kayser, Mark A., and Wlezien, Christopher. 2011. “Performance Pressure: Patterns of Partisanship and the Economic Vote.” European Journal of Political Research 50:365–394.Google Scholar
Kelly, Nathan J., and Enns, Peter K.. 2010. “Inequality and the Dynamics of Public Opinion: The Self-Reinforcing Link Between Economic Inequality and Mass Preferences.” American Journal of Political Science 54, 4: 855–870.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kenworthy, Lane, and Pontusson, Jonas. 2005. “Rising Inequality and the Politics of Redistribution in Affluent Countries.” Perspectives on Politics 3:449–471.Google Scholar
Kinder, Donald R., and Mebane, Walter R.. 1983. “Politics and Economics in Everyday Life.” In The Political Process and Economic Change , ed. Monroe, Kristen, 141–180. New York: Agathon.Google Scholar
Kramer, Gerald H. 1971. “Short-Term Fluctuations in U.S. Voting Behavior, 1896–1964.” American Political Science Review 65:131–143.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kramer, Gerald H. 1983. “The Ecological Fallacy Revisited: Aggregate Versus Individual-Level Evidence on Economics and Elections and Sociotropic Voting.” American Political Science Review 77:92–111.Google Scholar
Krause, George A. 1997. “Voters, Information Heterogeneity, and the Dynamics of Aggregate Economic Expectations.” American Journal of Political Science 41, 4: 1170–1200.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leigh, Andrew. 2005. “Economic Voting and Electoral Behavior: How Do Individual, Local, and National Factors Affect the Partisan Choice?” Economics and Politics 17, 2: 265–296.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leighly, Jan E., and Nagler, Jonathan. 1992. “Socioeconomic Class Bias in Turnout, 1964–1988: The Voters Remain the Same.” American Political Science Review 86, 3: 725–736.Google Scholar
Leighly, Jan E., and Nagler, Jonathan. 2007. “Unions, Voter Turnout, and Class Bias in the U.S. Electorate, 1964–2004.” Journal of Politics 69, 2: 430–441.Google Scholar
Lewis-Beck, Michael S. 1988. Economics and Elections. . Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.Google Scholar
Lewis-Beck, Michael S., and Nadeau, Richard. 2011. “Economic Voting Theory: Testing New Dimensions.” Electoral Studies 30:288–294.Google Scholar
Lewis-Beck, Michael S., Nadeau, Richard, and Foucault, Martial. 2013. “The Compleat Economic Voter: New Theory and British Evidence.” British Journal of Political Science 43, 2: 241–261.Google Scholar
Lijphart, Arend. 1997. “Unequal Participation: Democracy's Unresolved Dilemma.” American Political Science Review 91, 1: 1–14.Google Scholar
Lukes, Steven. 2005. Power: A Radical View. . 2nd ed. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.Google Scholar
Lupu, Noam, and Pontusson, Jonas. 2010. “Inequality, Mobility, and Social Affinity in the Politics of Redistribution.” Working Paper, Princeton University.Google Scholar
Lupu, Noam, and Pontusson, Jonas. 2011. “The Structure of Inequality and Politics of Redistribution.” American Political Science Review 105, 2: 316–336.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mahler, Vincent A. 2008. “Electoral Turnout and Income Redistribution by the State: A Cross-National Analysis of the Developed Democracies.” European Journal of Political Research 47:161–183.Google Scholar
Mankowska, Ksenia. 2011. “Income Inequality and Political Engagement in Post-Communist Eastern Europe.” Paper prepared for the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association in Seattle, WA, September 1–4.Google Scholar
Meltzer, Alan H., and Richard, Scott F.. 1981. “A Rational Theory of the Size of Government.” Journal of Political Economy 89, 5: 914–927.Google Scholar
Milanovic, Branko. 2000. “The Median-Voter Hypothesis, Income Inequality, and Income Redistribution: An Empirical Test with the Required Data.” European Journal of Political Economy 16:367–410.Google Scholar
Moene, Karl Ove, and Wallerstein, Michael. 2003. “Earning Inequality and Welfare Spending: A Disaggregated Analysis.” World Politics 55, 4: 485–516.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nannestad, Peter, and Paldam, Martin. 1997. “The Grievance Asymmetry Revisited: A Micro Study of Economic Voting in Denmark, 1986–92.” European Journal of Political Economy 13:81–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Norris, Pippa. 2004. Electoral Engineering: Voting Rules and Political Behavior. . New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Oliver, J. Eric. 2001. Democracy in Suburbia. . Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Oliver, J. Eric, and Ha, Shang E.. 2007. “Vote Choice in Suburban Elections.” American Political Science Review 101, 3: 393–408.Google Scholar
Pacek, Alexander, and Radcliff, Benjamin. 1995. “Turnout and the Vote for the Left-of-Center Party: A Cross-National Analysis.” British Journal of Political Science 25, 1: 137–143.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pontusson, Jonas, and Rueda, David. 2010. “The Politics of Inequality: Voter Mobilization and Left Parties in Advanced Industrial States.” Comparative Political Studies 43:675–705.Google Scholar
Powell, G. Bingham Jr. 1986. “American Voter Turnout in Comparative Perspective.” American Political Science Review 80, 1: 17–43.Google Scholar
Powell, G. Bingham Jr., and Whitten, Guy D.. 1993. “A Cross-National Analysis of Economic Voting: Taking Account of the Political Context.” American Journal of Political Science 37:391–414.Google Scholar
Radcliff, Benjamin, and Davis, Patricia. 2000. “Labor Organization and Electoral Participation in Industrial Democracies.” American Journal of Political Science 44, 1: 132–141.Google Scholar
Sanders, David. 1999. “Conservative Incompetence, Labour Responsibility and the Feelgood Factor: Why the Economy Failed to Save the Conservatives in 1997.” Electoral Studies 18:251–270.Google Scholar
Schattschneider, Elmer E. 1960. The Semisovereign People: A Realist's View of Democracy in America. . New York: Holt, Reinhart, and Winston.Google Scholar
Schlozman, Kay L., Page, Benjamin I., Verba, Sidney, and Fiorina, Morris. 2004. “Inequality of Political Voice.” Washington, DC: Task Force on Inequality and American Democracy, American Political Science Association.Google Scholar
Seeber, Gilg U. H., and Steinbrecher, Markus. 2011. “Inequality and Turnout in Europe.” Paper prepared for the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association in Seattle, WA, September 1–4.Google Scholar
Shield, Todd G., and Goidel, Robert K.. 1997. “Participation Rate, Socioeconomic Class Bias, and Congressional Elections: A Crossvalidation.” American Journal of Political Science 41, 2: 683–691.Google Scholar
Solt, Frederick. 2004. “Civics or Structure? Revisiting the Origins of Democratic Quality in the Italian Regions.” British Journal of Political Science 34:123–135.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Solt, Frederick. 2008. “Economic Inequality and Democratic Political Engagement.” American Journal of Political Science 51, 1: 48–60.Google Scholar
Solt, Frederick. 2010. “Does Economic Inequality Depress Electoral Participation? Testing the Schattschneider Hypothesis.” Political Behavior 32:285–301.Google Scholar
Soss, Joe, and Jacob, Lawrence R.. 2009. “The Place of Inequality: Non-Participation in the American Polity.” Political Science Quarterly 124, 1: 95–125.Google Scholar
Stockemer, Daniel, and Scruggs, Lyle. 2012. “The Impact of Inequality on Turnout—New Evidence on a Burgeoning Debate.” Electoral Studies 31, 4: 764–773.Google Scholar
van der Brug, Wouter, Franklin, Mark, and Tóka, Gábor. 2008. “One Electorate or Many? Differences in Party Preference Formation Between New and Established European Democracies.” Electoral Studies 27, 4: 589–600.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Verba, Sidney, Schlozman, Kay Lehman, and Brady, Henry E.. 1995. Voice and Equality: Civic Voluntarism in American Politics. . Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Weatherford, M. Stephen. 1983. “Economic Voting and the ‘Symbolic Polities’ Argument: A Reinterpretation and Synthesis.” American Political Science Review 77:158–174.Google Scholar
Yanai, Yuki. 2011. “Economic Inequality and Voters' Attitudes Toward Inequality and Redistribution: A Study of Turnout.” Paper prepared for the 61st Political Studies Association Annual Conference, Novtotel London West, April 19–21.Google Scholar