Causes and Effect of Voting Behavior. Case Study of Jigawa Gubernatorial Election 2019
CHAPTER ONE
Objective of the study
The objectives of the study are;
- To find out the causes of election voting behavior in Jigawa Gobernatorial election 2019
- To find out effect of voting behavior in Jigawa Gobernatorial election 2019
- To find the factors that discourage the voters not to get engaged in electoral activities Jigawa Gobernatorial election 2019
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
VOTING BEHAVIOUR
Classical studies of voting behaviour have identified useful voting patterns which focus directly on individual voters. Authors who pioneered such approaches as sociology and economics to electoral analysis include Lazarsfeld, Berelson and Gaudet (1944). Some of the principles that they established subsequently became the foundation for the work of other authors. Although there are many commonalities between the various traditions, each tradition provides insights to respond to individual challenges (Carmines and Huckfeldt, 1996, p.224). The economic approach was used by Downs (1957), who analysed political apathy long before it became a serious topic of discussion. He argued that voters would not find it rational to participate in elections on the basis of self-interested motivation alone. Many political economists have supported this idea, but others have asserted that this view contradicts the evidence (Carmines and Huckfeldt, 1996). Accounting for these various approaches is beyond the scope of this essay, but the economic approach is found to be particularly helpful in this context. The “rational” economic factor explains the effect of media campaigns on politically active citizens who do not have strong partisan dispositions—“undecided” voters (Downs, 1957, 3). Generally, the remainder of the electorate is divided into two groups. In the first group, voters form their preferences on the basis of social or other associations. In the second group, voters simply abstain from basing their decisions on short-term economic self-interest. The undecided voters, who do not have deep convictions, will be open to media pressure with its constant messages of both direct “first-level” opinions and indirect “secondlevel” hints. The influence of the media will increase as the size of this group increases. First-level agenda setting, first advanced by Lippmann, refers to the way in which we form the “pictures in our heads”. The same thing at a second level is a relatively new idea which seeks to explain not only what we think about but also how we assess these thoughts (McCombs et al. 1997, p.703). Dalton and Wattenberg (1993) present another concept related to this issue. They assume that voters identify with their choice of party because they perceive that the party’s objectives are compatible with their own. Thus, for a large part of the electorate, the decision-making process becomes quite simple: they support the candidate(s) whose background is most similar to their own. Early work focusing on social groups was more applicable to Europe than to the United States. However, the basic framework for the various electorate groups in Europe and the US is the same; identification with a candidate/party can arise from social, religious, or regional cleavages. As a result, voting behaviour for this large segment of the population remains constant across elections. Classical sociological studies explain the political preferences of voters with respect to background. Without this perspective, these studies lack the ability to explain other profound motivations in detail. This failure to account for voter behaviour has produced other approaches, such as psychological and economic ones. Dalton et al. (1993) notes that social characteristics have limited value in providing a “catalyst” for the analysis of various issues which lack a “class referent”
Chapter Three
Research methodology
Research Design
The research design adopted in this research work is the survey research design which involves the usage of self-designed questionnaire in the collection of data. Under the survey research design, primary data of this study will be collected from residents in Auyo local government of Jigawa state in order to assess causes and effect of voting behaviour. The design was chosen because it enables the researcher to collect data without manipulation of any variables of interest in the study. The design also provides opportunity for equal chance of participation in the study for respondents.
Population of Study
The population of study is the census of all items or a subject that possess the characteristics or that have the knowledge of the phenomenon that is being studied (Asiaka, 1991). It also means the aggregate people from which the sample is to be drawn.
Population is sometimes referred to as the universe. The population of this research study will be Seventy-five (75) selected resident in Auyo local government of Jigawa state
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
This chapter is about the analysis and presentation of data collected from the field through questionnaire. The analysis of the data with particular question immediately followed by the presentation of findings.
As mentioned in chapter three, 50 questionnaires were administered and 50 were retrieved and necessary analysis was carried out on them and presented as follows:
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to causes and effect of voting behaviour. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of causes and effect of voting behaviour
Summary
This study was on causes and effect of voting behaviour. Three objectives were raised which included: To find out the causes of election voting behavior in Jigawa Gobernatorial election 2019, to find out effect of voting behavior in Jigawa Gobernatorial election 2019 and to find the factors that discourage the voters not to get engaged in electoral activities Jigawa Gobernatorial election 2019. The total population for the study is 75 residents from Auyo local government of Jigawa state. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies
Conclusion
Elections have always been a feature of democratic process. Democratic institutions thrive on the exercise of choice at regular intervals by the electorate. Elections act as a safeguard of democratic freedom and, among other things, make for the rotation of rulers and create the potential for leadership. Elections have established a bridge between electorate and candidature. As a result the importance of state elections is not less than national elections. The study reveals that the voting behavior of state people shaped by some determinants. They became encouraged to vote and sometimes ceased them from vote for some remarkable causes.
Recommendation
The local people become fed up for the existing corruption in election. They don’t get enough services for ineffectiveness of the body of local government which is harmful for democracy. So, the government should try to take necessary measures to reduce these problems to create interest to non- casting voters to vote.
The number of women in voting is more less than male for lack of women education, lack of consciousness and some women complained that they can’t cast their vote according to their own desire. Their husband, father interferes on their opinion. So the Government should take steps to increase the rate of education for both women and men.
Awareness should be creates among the people about the importance of local election and the value of their participation in voting. Various type of violence during election period is another cause of note voting. As a result the necessary steps should be taken to stop the election related violence.
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