Suchergebnisse

Australia has compulsory voting, and New Zealand voluntary voting. Australia has preferential and New Zealand simple plurality voting. Australia has an elected upper house and New Zealand a unicameral parliament. What effect do these differences in electoral law have on electoral behavior and electoral outcomes in the two countries? Aggregate data (from 1960 to 1984) and survey data (from around the end of the 1970s) are used to investigate this question. In terms of influencing electoral behavior, it appears that these factors produce no more than marginal variations. However the comparison of preferential and simple plurality voting does suggest that these alternative procedures have the potential to generate different electoral outcomes. Overall, though, it seems that historical, cultural and political factors which steer Australia and New Zealand towards similarity predominate over features of the electoral systems which might otherwise tend to give rise to differences between the two countries. (Internat. Polit. Science Assoc.)

National survey data (1984/85) collected from 1,120 couples in Australia are used to examine the political attitudes (PA) of married couples, with a focus on the degree to which the social background characteristics of married women determine both their own PA & the PA of their husbands. Results suggest that, for both husbands & wives, a person's own characteristics are generally just as important as the social characteristics of their spouse in predicting their own PA, & that both husbands' & wives' characteristics also exert an independent influence on the PA of their spouses. 7 Tables, 48 References. Adapted from the source document.

Since the 1970s, political science research suggests no significant gender differences in overall levels of participation. For example, an examination of current rates of conventional political participation and voter turnout indicates little difference between men and women in either the United States, Great Britain, West Germany, Italy or other western industrial nations.1 Despite this disappearance of gender differences in political participation, however, both national and international research suggests an enduring gender gap in political interest. Regardless of country of origin, women remain less politically interested than men.2

Abstract. Although political efficacy is a key concept in theories of political participation and democratic governance, different studies have conceptualised and operationalised efficacy in different ways. Using comparable survey data from the United States, West Germany, Great Britain and Australia, this study builds upon previous research in an attempt to clarify our understanding of the dimensions of political efficacy and their relationship to socio‐demographic factors. The results suggest that 'internal efficacy' and 'external efficacy' are distinct attitudinal dimensions which are comparable in all four nations, and that each is related to certain socio‐demographic characteristics.

Using comparable survey data from the US, West Germany, GB, & Australia, an attempt is made to clarify understanding of the dimensions of political efficacy & their relationship to sociodemographic factors. The results suggest that internal & external efficacy are distinct attitudinal dimensions comparable in all four nations, & that each is related to certain sociodemographic characteristics. 7 Tables, 1 Figure, 40 References. Adapted from the source document.

Using a survey data set collected in 1984/85 that provided information separately for each spouse (N = 1,120 couples), examined is the extent to which the social background characteristics of spouses aid in the prediction of a married person's political attitudes. It is found that spousal characteristics add significantly to the explanation of political attitudes over & above the individual's own social characteristics, concluding that inclusion of the relevant characteristics of both parents provides a better explanation of either spouse's attitudes than a model containing only information about the individual concerned. 2 Tables, 8 References.