Irrational Voters
18 January 2008
The Editor, New York Times
229 West 43rd St.
New York, NY 10036
To the Editor:
David Brooks cites research showing that voting is chiefly an expression of each voter's emotional reactions to candidates and the issues ("How Voters Think," January 18). Mr. Brooks overlooks, though, the definitive work clarifying this view - namely, my colleague Bryan Caplan's 2007 book "The Myth of the Rational Voter." Bryan explains that the same person who weighs his options with at least passable rationality when buying a car or a can of peas typically is in a daze of irrationality when voting. The reason is simple: our private decisions are determinitive. If I choose the Honda over the Ford, I get the Honda. Not so in elections. If I vote for Clinton over McCain, chances are near-zero that my vote determines the election's outcome; I might still get McCain. So with no personal material consequences riding on which lever I pull in the voting booth, I suffer no downside to letting my emotions run wild on election day.
Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux
Chairman, Department of Economics
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030
The Editor, New York Times
229 West 43rd St.
New York, NY 10036
To the Editor:
David Brooks cites research showing that voting is chiefly an expression of each voter's emotional reactions to candidates and the issues ("How Voters Think," January 18). Mr. Brooks overlooks, though, the definitive work clarifying this view - namely, my colleague Bryan Caplan's 2007 book "The Myth of the Rational Voter." Bryan explains that the same person who weighs his options with at least passable rationality when buying a car or a can of peas typically is in a daze of irrationality when voting. The reason is simple: our private decisions are determinitive. If I choose the Honda over the Ford, I get the Honda. Not so in elections. If I vote for Clinton over McCain, chances are near-zero that my vote determines the election's outcome; I might still get McCain. So with no personal material consequences riding on which lever I pull in the voting booth, I suffer no downside to letting my emotions run wild on election day.
Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux
Chairman, Department of Economics
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030
Posted by Don Boudreaux on
Friday June 13, 2008 at 10:06am