Could understanding whether elections make people happy and bring them closure matter more than who they vote for? What if people did not vote for what they want but for what they believe is right based on roles they implicitly assume? Do elections make people cry? This book invites readers on a unique journey inside the mind of a voter using unprecedented data from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, South Africa, and Georgia throughout a period when the world evolved from the centrist dominance of Obama and Mandela to the shock victories of Brexit and Trump. Michael Bruter and Sarah Harrison explore three interrelated aspects of the heart and mind of voters: the psychological bases of their behavior, how they experience elections and the emotions this entails, and how and when elections bring democratic resolution. The authors examine unique concepts including electoral identity, atmosphere, ergonomics, and hostility.
From filming the shadow of voters in the polling booth, to panel study surveys, election diaries, and interviews, Bruter and Harrison unveil insights into the conscious and subconscious sides of citizens’ psychology throughout a unique decade for electoral democracy. They highlight how citizens’ personality, memory, and identity affect their vote and experience of elections, when elections generate hope or hopelessness, and how subtle differences in electoral arrangements interact with voters’ psychology to trigger different emotions.
Inside the Mind of a Voter radically shifts electoral science, moving away from implicitly institution-centric visions of behavior to understand elections from the point of view of voters.
Awards and Recognition
- Honorable Mention for the Stein Rokkan Prize, European Consortium for Political Research and the International Science Council
Michael Bruter is professor of political science at the London School of Economics and director of the Electoral Psychology Observatory (EPO). Sarah Harrison is assistant professorial research fellow at the LSE and deputy director of the EPO. They are the coauthors of Mapping Extreme Right Ideology, The Future of Our Democracies, and, with Bart Cammaerts, Shaku Banaji, and Nick Anstead, Youth Participation in Democratic Life.
"Steeped in the vast literature on voting behavior, Inside the Mind of a Voter steers the discussion of voter psychology in unique and provocative directions. Drawing from a variety of data, along with insights derived from statistical analysis and ethnographic observation, the authors show that voters find the act of casting ballots and the surrounding ceremony to be a more evocative and memorable experience than one might think."—Robert S. Erikson, Columbia University
"A veritable tour de force, this ambitious book expands our thinking about elections. Providing a rich and lively kaleidoscope of conceptual innovation, detailed observations, and wide interpretative vistas, Inside the Mind of a Voter compels readers—novices and seasoned analysts alike—to venture beyond the established boundaries of electoral studies. It is essential reading for everyone interested in the functioning of elections in contemporary societies."—Cees van der Eijk, University of Nottingham
"This innovative landmark book shakes up electoral research and transforms our thinking about elections: how they are seen and studied, and what they mean to citizens. Using multiple methods and spanning several elections in different countries, Inside the Mind of a Voter asks big questions and pioneers a new mode of studying elections. A tour de force."—Claes de Vreese, University of Amsterdam
"Inside the Mind of a Voter seeks to understand the determinants of voting and the place of elections in the life of the voter. This book presents an extraordinarily well-presented survey of findings and cutting-edge research design, and its importance to political science, political theory, and social psychology cannot be overstated."—Mark Franklin, Trinity College, Connecticut