the single most significant predictor of a person's partisan voting behavior is his or her
a. party identification
b. educational background
c. political eficacy
d. perceptions of government
i think its a, because the democrats have broad liberal views, and the republicans have conservative views, so the people, based on their personal views, would register to be either democrat or republican... and would trust that their party's candidate would uphold the party's values when elected
I agree. :-)
You are partially correct. Party identification, option a, is indeed the single most significant predictor of a person's partisan voting behavior. However, let me explain how we can arrive at this answer.
To determine the single most significant predictor, we need to consider the factors that have the strongest influence on a person's partisan voting behavior. In this case, party identification is widely recognized as the most important and consistent factor.
Party identification refers to an individual's psychological attachment or loyalty to a particular political party (e.g., Democrat, Republican, Independent). People tend to develop their party identification based on a variety of factors, including their values, beliefs, family background, and exposure to political information.
Research has consistently shown that party identification strongly shapes individuals' attitudes and voting behavior. In other words, once individuals have established party identification, they tend to vote for candidates from their own party, regardless of other considerations such as candidate qualifications or issue positions.
While education, political efficacy, and perceptions of government can also influence voting behavior to some extent, party identification remains the most robust and enduring predictor. These other factors may impact voting decisions, but they typically do not override the influence of party identification.
Therefore, based on empirical evidence and research findings, the correct answer is A. Party identification is the single most significant predictor of a person's partisan voting behavior.