Of Marijuana and Monopolies: Increasing Correct Voting in U.S. Ballot Measure Elections with the Citizens' Initiative Review
Open Access
Author:
Larkin, Nathan James
Area of Honors:
Communication Arts and Sciences
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
John W Gastil, Thesis Supervisor Lori Ann Bedell, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Democratic Deliberation Deliberative Democracy Correct Voting Citizens' Initiative Review Direct Democracy Ballot Measures Marijuana Monopoly Conflicting Initiatives Political Efficacy Ohio
Abstract:
This thesis examines whether deliberative voter guides, similar to the Citizens’ Statements written by the Oregon Citizens’ Initiative Review (CIR), can increase the rate of correct voting on ballot referenda. The study also investigates the possibility that such guides have a motivational effect that can encourage information-seeking behavior on other ballot measures. The empirical analysis is based on an online survey of registered Ohio voters that took place before the November 2015 general election. Participants were asked to cast votes on two conflicting ballot measures — one technical in nature, and the other values-based — that appeared on their ballot. Some participants were exposed to a CIR-like voter guide before reporting how they would vote, and others were not. Results showed that using a CIR-like voter guide increased correct voting on the technical ballot measure but not for the values-based measure. Further, the voter guide effect for the technical measure was erased under certain ballot ordering conditions. Also, exposure to a CIR-like voter guide increased likelihood of voluntarily choosing to use a similar voter guide on a subsequent ballot measure, regardless of a participant’s prior internal political efficacy or political knowledge. These findings suggest that deliberative voter guides may be most effective on technical issues and that informative guides can encourage information seeking further down the ballot.
