Discussion Board Assignment Essay

Gronke, Koch and Wilson (2003) analyzes the issue of whether or not the electorate is discerning in their voting patterns, and how the president’s perceived approval of the incumbent influences the perception that the electorate has of the incumbent. The article concedes that support between the president and an incumbent is reciprocal. In this case, the incumbents who support the president as perceived through the house voting records for the presidents legislative initiatives are most likely to receive the president’s approval and correspondingly the electorate’s support and votes. The authors further note that although partisan heuristics influence the electorate’s support of an incumbent, that influence comes second to that of the incumbent’s house voting patterns for presidential initiatives and the president’s endorsement of the incumbent. The implication is that the electorate is much more discerning and would not wholesomely accept partisan opinions; rather they would evaluate performance in the house to determine whether or not to vote for an incumbent.Discussion Board Assignment Essay

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The main issue being analyzed in the article is whether the electorates’ perception of an incumbent’s support for the president’s agenda as seen through voting on the president’s agendas, as well as presidential approval, has an influence on the incumbent’s evaluation by the electorate and vote choice. The three dependent variables explored when evaluating the issue are: incumbent feeling thermometer ratings, incumbent job approval, and congressional vote choice. The independent variables for the issue have been grouped into four categories. The first category is general attitudes relevant to political choice and evaluations to include economic assessments, evaluations of the house, and partisanship. The second category is the interaction between president approval and the incumbent’s perceived or actual support for the president. The third category is the possibility of anti-democratic and uniform partisan backlash. The final category is potential campaign effects on choice and evaluations (Gronke, Koch & Wilson, 2003).

Reference

Gronke, R., Koch, J. & Wilson, M. (2003). Follow the leader? Presidential approval, presidential support, and representatives’ electoral fortunes. The Journal of Politics, 65(3), 785-808.

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Discussion Board Assignment Essay