What You Use Depends on What You Have

Abstract

This article examines the effects on the use of determinants of electoral choice of varying levels of politically-relevant information in the electorate. A theoretical framework is introduced that accounts for different usages of cues to vote choice, even among voters with similar goals, based on differing amounts of information. The 1972-74-76 Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research Panel Study is used to test the hypothesis that low information voters will emphasize different cues to vote choice than medium information voters, who will also differ from high information voters. This hypothesis is confirmed by the findings, and a number of conclusions about the nature of electoral choice are drawn.