Provide a detailed analysis of Anthony Downs's rational-choice model
What are its core propositions? What does it say about voter behavior? How do political parties attract the most votes? Do you feel Down's theory is entirely valid? Why or why not?
What will be an ideal response?
An ideal response will:
1, Explain Downs's rational-choicemodel as an attempt to portray political processes and outcomes as the consequences of purposeful behavior. The model stipulates that voters want to maximize the chance that policies they favor will be adopted by government, and that parties want to win office. Thus, in order to win office, the wise party selects policies that are widely favored.
2, Examine the idea that Americans are generally moderate and that parties must reflect this while simultaneously differentiating themselves from one another. Successful parties rarely stray far from the midpoint of public opinion.
3, Note that in a democracy, policy positions are the differentiating features of parties. Therefore, when one party better assesses the policy preferences of a majority of voters, it is more likely to succeed in getting its candidates elected.
4, Question or support the validity of Downs's theory, using examples to demonstrate its efficacy or deficiency in a persuasive format.
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