Publication Date

2017

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Clark, April K.

Degree Name

M.A. (Master of Arts)

Legacy Department

Department of Political Science

LCSH

Political science

Abstract

No study to date has conducted a field experiment to test the mobilization effect of social pressure on registered inactive voters. This study advances the growing body of scholarly research that examines the influence of appeals on registrants with varying propensities to vote by empirically testing the effect of social pressure on non-voters. Since, arguably, no other incentives have encouraged these non-voters to cast a ballot, we can estimate the value that social pressure has on encouraging voting behavior. In addition, we can gain a better understanding of which social pressure strategy is successful for encouraging registered non-voters to become engaged in the electoral process. This research provides the most promise in terms of remedial policies or, more narrowly, winning electoral strategies. I present results from a field experiment conducted during the 2016 Presidential Primary Election in Illinois. A sample of 1,000 non-voters was randomly selected and assigned to five equal groups of 200 representing the control group and the four treatment groups. Through my analysis I found evidence that social pressure treatments increase turnout among non-voters.

Comments

Advisors: April K. Clark.||Committee members: Scot Schraufnagel; Matthew Streb.||Includes bibliographical references.||Includes illustrations and map.

Extent

44 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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