Funnel of causality

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The funnel of causality is a political science model that explains how broad, long-term social and psychological factors gradually narrow to shape an individual’s specific voting decision.

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Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf political science model
theoretical model of voting behavior
associatedWith Angus Campbell NERFINISHED
Donald E. Stokes NERFINISHED
Philip E. Converse NERFINISHED
Warren E. Miller NERFINISHED
assumption voters are influenced by stable predispositions and short-term campaign factors
causalDirection from social structure to psychological orientations to vote choice
conceptualType causal framework
contrastedWith pure sociological models of voting
rational choice models of voting
coreIdea broad long-term factors shape individual vote choice through a narrowing sequence of influences
critiquedFor emphasis on stability of party identification
limited attention to strategic and institutional factors
describedIn The American Voter NERFINISHED
developedBy University of Michigan Survey Research Center scholars
emphasizes candidate evaluations
issue orientations
long-term social characteristics
party identification
psychological predispositions
explains how social and psychological factors influence voting decisions
process leading from distant causes to specific vote choice
field electoral studies
political behavior research
political science
focusesOn individual voting decision
historicalContext mid-20th-century American electoral research
includesLevel broad social and demographic characteristics
final vote choice
group and social cleavages
party identification as a long-term orientation
short-term forces such as issues and candidates
inElectionStudies organizes variables from distal to proximal causes
influenced subsequent models of electoral behavior
inspired later work on multilevel and contextual models of voting
levelOfAnalysis individual-level voting behavior
methodologicalBasis survey research
relatedConcept Michigan model of voting
party identification as a psychological attachment
represents hierarchical structure of influences on voting
teachingUse election studies curricula
introductory political behavior courses
timeOrientation long-term to short-term sequence of influences
usedFor analyzing determinants of voting behavior
structuring survey research on elections
visualMetaphor funnel narrowing from distant causes to immediate decision

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The American Voter conceptIntroduced Funnel of causality