Theories in Search of a Curve: A Contextual Interpretation of Left Vote

Przeworkski, Adam, and Glaucio A.D. Soares. 1971. “Theories in Search of a Curve: A Contextual Interpretation of Left Vote.” American Political Science Review 65: 51-65.

Overview
Central subject: The propensity of an individual to vote for a leftist party given the social context of his interactions.

Departs from lockean assumptions of political behavior.

Independent variable: The behavior of a particular group

Political parties appeal to (mobilize) particular groups.

Some groups have a consciousness, others don't.

Groups aquire a consciousness when its individuals share specific idenity and express this idenity in their actions.

Workers aquire "working class" consciousness when they identify themselves in group and vote for socialists.

Group-consciousness is an attribute of the group, not the individual.

Group has high level of consciousness when it can generate group-consciousness behavior in new members.

70% of workers vote for the left. These workers express a group-consciousness if new members also wind up voting left. If the expansion of worker population caused the worker left vote to decline to 60%, then workers cannot be said to be motivated by a group-consciousness.

I can be objectively defined to be a part of a certain group, but this group has no garanteed effect on me.

I can be a native Texan, but being a Texan has no garanteed effect on my behavior.

If being a Texan effected my behavior, then a  political scientist can claim that my membership as a Texan effected my behavior, but only in that particular way.

If I talk like a Texan, then you can claim that my texas group consciousness effects my speech behavior.

If I dress like a Texan, then you can claim that my texas group consciousness effects the way I dress.

If a worker votes like a worker, then you can claim that her worker group consciousness affects the way she votes.

Individs can't affect group consciousness. Consciousness of individ is determined by consciousness of group.

This avoids selection bias. An individual woker votes left because worker group consciousness votes left.

Workers vote socialist because of the group, not because socialists willingly enter this group. You can be exploited and not want to be a socialist. A poor person only votes in their interests if their group consciousness realizes those interests.

You can be poor and not a socialist, and you can be rich and vote socialist. Voting doesn't reflect just interests, voting also reflects your group consciousness.

Why does someone vote against their interest? Which group consciousnesses are powerful enough to corrupt your interest? Maybe you care more about the interests of others - altruism. A poor person can be altrusitic of rich people, a rich person can be altruistic of a poor person. Bill Gates can vote against his interest and still be rational. Rational = ongoing, consistent preference.

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