Electoral Turnout in Rational Voting and Consumption Perspectives

Abstract

A single-equation econometric model of voting participation behavior is developed within the context of rational voter and household investment-consumption theories. The model is tested using aggregate electoral district-level data from 10 Canadian provincial elections and the 1970 Canadian census. The regression estimates show substantial consistency across the various elections which comprise this study's data base. Despite considerable collinearity, education and income appear to be strongly related to voting turnout in a manner which is consistent with the predictions of economic theory.