None of the Above: Protest Voting in Latin American Democracies

Author:   Mollie J Cohen
Publisher:   The University of Michigan Press
ISBN:  

9780472076628


Pages:   268
Publication Date:   20 February 2024
Format:   Hardback
Availability:   In stock   Availability explained
We have confirmation that this item is in stock with the supplier. It will be ordered in for you and dispatched immediately.

Our Price $224.40 Quantity:  
Add to Cart

Share |

None of the Above: Protest Voting in Latin American Democracies


Add your own review!

Overview

Around the world each year, millions of citizens turn out to vote but leave their ballots empty or spoil them. Increasingly, campaigns have emerged that promote “invalid” votes like these. Why do citizens choose to cast blank and spoiled votes? And how do campaigns mobilizing the invalid vote influence this decision? None of the Above answers these questions using evidence from presidential and gubernatorial elections in eighteen Latin American democracies. Author Mollie J. Cohen draws on a broad range of methods and sources, incorporating data from electoral management bodies, nationally representative surveys, survey experiments, focus groups, semi-structured interviews, and news sources. Contrary to received wisdom, this book shows that most citizens cast blank or spoiled votes in presidential elections on purpose. By participating in invalid vote campaigns, citizens can voice their concerns about low-quality candidates while also expressing a preference for high-quality democracy. Campaigns promoting blank and spoiled votes come about more often, and succeed at higher rates, when incumbent politicians undermine the quality of elections. Surprisingly, invalid vote campaigns can shore up the quality of democracy in the short term. None of the Above shows that swings in blank and spoiled vote rates can serve as a warning about the trajectory of a country’s democracy.

Full Product Details

Author:   Mollie J Cohen
Publisher:   The University of Michigan Press
Imprint:   The University of Michigan Press
ISBN:  

9780472076628


ISBN 10:   0472076620
Pages:   268
Publication Date:   20 February 2024
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In stock   Availability explained
We have confirmation that this item is in stock with the supplier. It will be ordered in for you and dispatched immediately.

Table of Contents

Tables Figures Acknowledgments Chapter 1. Introduction: None of the Above Chapter 2. Invalid Ballots as a Protest Signal Chapter 3. Campaigning for No-one: Invalid Vote Campaigns in Latin America Chapter 4. Public Approval of Invalid Vote Campaigns Chapter 5. Predicting the Electoral Success of Invalid Vote Campaigns Chapter 6. A Tale of Two Departments: Tracing the Success of Invalid Vote Campaigns in Peru Chapter 7. The Downstream Consequences of Invalid Vote Campaigns Chapter 8. Conclusion Chapter 1 Appendix Chapter 2 Appendix Chapter 4 Appendix Chapter 5 Appendix Chapter 6 Appendix Chapter 7 Appendix Bibliography Notes Index

Reviews

"A wonderful example of a well-executed scholarly book that takes an interesting and misunderstood phenomenon—invalid voting—and explores both the meaning and the consequences across a wide range of contexts. Dr. Cohen is a true expert on this topic. This book showcases her deep knowledge of protest voting in Latin American elections and presents convincing evidence that the practice of invalid voting in protest is more important than many might think at first."" - Carew Boulding, University of Colorado at Boulder"


Author Information

Mollie J. Cohen is Assistant Professor of comparative politics at the Department of International Affairs at the University of Georgia.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

No review item found!

Add your own review!

Countries Available

All regions
Latest Reading Guide

wl

Shopping Cart
Your cart is empty
Shopping cart
Mailing List