Individuals with Higher Education levels increase Voter Turnout rates
Disciplines
American Politics | Other Political Science
Abstract (300 words maximum)
During the 2016 presidential election, the Trump voter was referred to as “uneducated”. While Trump won the presidency, many have questioned how presidential candidate Hillary Clinton lost the election when polls claimed she would win by a landslide. To effectively understand what happened in the 2016 election I decided to examine the Presidential election of 2012 where education was not considered a major determinant in the election results. Researchers believe the main reason for the 2016 upset is due to pollsters not factoring into consideration that college-educated individuals are more likely than their non-college-educated peers to take surveys, potentially causing a treatment effect in the results. The research will discuss the background other researchers have conducted. Additionally, this study analyzes the 2012 presidential election while considering numerous variables that could potentially affect an individual's likelihood of turning out to vote in elections. All data are from the 2012 General Social Survey whose sample is a reflection of the American population. Using respondent's highest degree attained and comparing it to voter turnout as well as basic demographics, the results revealed a correlation between the variables which provided substantial evidence to support the hypothesis. Based on the results found in this study, an individual's education level influences his or her likelihood of turning out to vote in elections.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
RCHSS - Government and International Affairs
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
April Johnson
Individuals with Higher Education levels increase Voter Turnout rates
During the 2016 presidential election, the Trump voter was referred to as “uneducated”. While Trump won the presidency, many have questioned how presidential candidate Hillary Clinton lost the election when polls claimed she would win by a landslide. To effectively understand what happened in the 2016 election I decided to examine the Presidential election of 2012 where education was not considered a major determinant in the election results. Researchers believe the main reason for the 2016 upset is due to pollsters not factoring into consideration that college-educated individuals are more likely than their non-college-educated peers to take surveys, potentially causing a treatment effect in the results. The research will discuss the background other researchers have conducted. Additionally, this study analyzes the 2012 presidential election while considering numerous variables that could potentially affect an individual's likelihood of turning out to vote in elections. All data are from the 2012 General Social Survey whose sample is a reflection of the American population. Using respondent's highest degree attained and comparing it to voter turnout as well as basic demographics, the results revealed a correlation between the variables which provided substantial evidence to support the hypothesis. Based on the results found in this study, an individual's education level influences his or her likelihood of turning out to vote in elections.