Expressive Political Behaviour: Foundations, Scope and Implications
- 11 February 2011
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Cambridge University Press (CUP) in British Journal of Political Science
- Vol. 41 (3), 645-670
- https://doi.org/10.1017/s0007123411000020
Abstract
A growing literature has focused attention on ‘expressive’ rather than ‘instrumental’ behaviour in political settings, particularly voting. A common criticism of the expressive idea is that it is ad hoc and lacks both predictive and normative bite. No clear definition of expressive behaviour has gained wide acceptance yet, and no detailed understanding of the range of foundations of specific expressive motivations has emerged. This article provides a foundational discussion and definition of expressive behaviour accounting for a range of factors. The content of expressive choice – distinguishing between identity-based, moral and social cases – is discussed and related to the specific theories of expressive choice in the literature. There is also a discussion of the normative and institutional implications of expressive behaviour.Keywords
Other Versions
This publication has 72 references indexed in Scilit:
- An institutional analysis of voter turnout: the role of primary type and the expressive and instrumental voting hypothesesConstitutional Political Economy, 2008
- Voting to anger and to please othersPublic Choice, 2007
- Who are the expressive voters?Public Choice, 2007
- Everyone likes a winner: An empirical test of the effect of electoral closeness on turnout in a context of expressive votingPublic Choice, 2006
- Political Leadership, Conflict and the Prospects for Constitutional PeaceEconomics of Governance, 2006
- Self-deception as the root of political failurePublic Choice, 2005
- A further experimental study of expressive votingPublic Choice, 1996
- An experimental study of expressive votingPublic Choice, 1992
- The Economics of Special Privilege and Rent SeekingPublished by Springer Science and Business Media LLC ,1989
- The Paradox of Not Voting: A Decision Theoretic AnalysisAmerican Political Science Review, 1974