Unlike voters in many other industrialized countries, Americans tend to vote from this “retrospective” perspective. Studies show that Americans view elections – especially presidential ones – as a referendum on the past performance of an officeholder, a political party or the current administration.
Do you think retrospective voters use the past to try and inform reasoning about the future?
IMO there has to be some level of this happening, otherwise retrospective voters would only have an opinion on those that already have served, and would be essentially picking from those who have not served at random.
Most voters are retrospective voters. They aren’t as concerned with the future as they are with the present and past.
I appreciate you defining that, but I don’t see anything that suggests most voters fall under that category - any chance you’d be able to dig that up?
Sure.
Thanks!
Do you think retrospective voters use the past to try and inform reasoning about the future?
IMO there has to be some level of this happening, otherwise retrospective voters would only have an opinion on those that already have served, and would be essentially picking from those who have not served at random.
It’s been a while since I read the study, but I think that was part of it. They used the past to inform opinions about the future.