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Does Heavy Turnout Help Democrats in Presidential Elections?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 1986

Harvey J. Tucker ,
Arnold Vedlitz  and
James DeNardo
Harvey J. Tucker
Affiliation:
Texas A&M University
Arnold Vedlitz
Affiliation:
Texas A&M University
James DeNardo
Affiliation:
Princeton University
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Abstract

There is conventional political wisdom that high voter turnout in a U.S. presidential election advantages the majority party. Because the Democratic party has been the dominant party in recent decades, this turnout advantage is often believed to accrue to Democratic presidential candidates. In an article in the June 1980 issue of the Review, James DeNardo challenged this conventional view. Indeed, he claimed that the majority party was likely to suffer with increased turnout when the behavior of core and peripheral voters is taken into account. Harvey J. Tucker and Arnold Vedlitz take issue with DeNardo's reasoning and evidence, and DeNardo embellishes and underscores his original case.

Type
Controversy
Information
American Political Science Review , Volume 80 , Issue 4 , December 1986 , pp. 1291 - 1304
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 1986

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References

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