Berelson, Lazarsfeld And Mcphee Analysis

Berelson, Lazarsfeld, and McPhee all evaluate a voter’s ideal requirements and how realistic they are. V.O. Key, Jr questions what makes a voter vote for a certain candidate. They have similar views on voter concepts and theories and how some can be unrealistic and confusing. They both use examples of the perfect voter, as evidence to back up their conclusions and to also compare the voter behavior. Each article shows similar stands when the democratic system is concerned. But their thoughts differentiate when a voter’s education is concerned. In the article Democratic Practice and Democratic Theory, it is stated that “the individual voter was not at all the theory of democracy requires of him” (Berelson). An ideal voter is expected to be interested and to participate in politic. It is assumed that they are highly motivated, informed, and aware of the possible consequences. Instead, voters are indecisive, not as involved or informed. Having a homogeneous population in politics would not work out. A heterogeneous population distributes differences and represents the population’s beliefs. This is important because “we need some people who are active in a certain respect, others in the middle, and still others passive” (Berelson). In the article
There cannot be just one type of ideal voter and the theories on voter behavior determine how politicians treat voters. Examples of the ideal voter is provided and scrutinized by both articles. Their opinions vary when a voter’s education is pondered. In Democratic Practice and Democratic Theory, it is expressed that voters must be more educated to make accurate choices. But in The Responsible Electorate, it is suggested that voters cannot be blamed for not getting all of the information. It states that the “electorate behaves about as rationally and responsibly as we should expect”