Anmerkungen:
Nach Informationen von SSRN wurde die ursprüngliche Fassung des Dokuments January 12, 2012 erstellt
Beschreibung:
Social conformity can spread social norms and behaviors through a society. This research examines such a process geographically for conformity with the norm that good citizens should vote, which in turn affects voter turnout. A mathematical model for this process is developed, and predictions are tested with qualitative and quantitative spatial analyses of state-level voter turnout in American presidential elections from 1920 to 2008. Results show that the diffusion of conformist behavior over time has led to a geographical equilibrium in state-level voter turnout, confirming the model