Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
7463540 | Electoral Studies | 2016 | 32 Pages |
Abstract
Presidential traits (i.e. morality, intelligence, leadership) have generally been assumed to be idiosyncratic personal characteristics of the individual and are treated as exogenous from other political and economic factors. Prior literature has shown that presidential characteristics and economic performance are important elements of vote choice and approval. Using ANES data from 1984 to 2008, we demonstrate an important link between these factors, showing that objective and subjective indicators of economic performance are significant predictors of trait evaluations. Specifically, evaluations of the incumbent president at election time are directly related to changes in economic performance earlier in the year. The effects of economic performance are not isolated to retrospective policy evaluations, but also influence the overall evaluation of the president as a person.
Related Topics
Social Sciences and Humanities
Social Sciences
Geography, Planning and Development
Authors
Lisa P. Argyle, Marcus Arrajj, Skylar Covich, E.G. Garay, Julian Gottlieb, Heather E. Hodges, Eric R.A.N. Smith,