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Reasoning about Political Reform: Experiments with the Psychology of Losing
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Reasoning about Electoral Reform:
Experiments with the Psychology of Losing
Shaun Bowler
University of California, Riverside
shaun.## email not listed ##
Todd Donovan
Western Washington University
## email not listed ##
Abstract:
This study assess how people reason about political institutions by examining the effectsof winning and losing on support for institutional change. Our national-sample surveyidentified high levels of support for several proposals to alter America’s electoralinstitutions. We conducted random assignment experiments that tested hypotheses aboutreasoning derived from theories of risk perception. We found that people who seethemselves as winners and losers in the electoral arena reason differently when proposalsfor change are presented with a risk of loss. Winners are more resistant to proposals forinstitutional change if proposals are framed as a risk of loss. Losers appear less sensitiveto such risks, and may even be risk acceptant. The cumulative effect of electoral loss wasalso found to reduce satisfaction with democracy. We discuss what these findings mighttell us about the stability of political institutions.
Prepared for presentation at the 2004 American Political Science Association meeting,Chicago, IL. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 2003 Midwest PoliticalScience Association meeting. Copyright Bowler and Donovan.
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| | Authors: Donovan, Todd. and Bowler, Shaun. |
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1
Reasoning about Electoral Reform:
Experiments with the Psychology of Losing
Shaun Bowler
University of California, Riverside
shaun.## email not listed ##
Todd Donovan
Western Washington University
## email not listed ##
Abstract:
This study assess how people reason about political institutions by examining the effects
of winning and losing on support for institutional change. Our national-sample survey
identified high levels of support for several proposals to alter America’s electoral
institutions. We conducted random assignment experiments that tested hypotheses about
reasoning derived from theories of risk perception. We found that people who see
themselves as winners and losers in the electoral arena reason differently when proposals
for change are presented with a risk of loss. Winners are more resistant to proposals for
institutional change if proposals are framed as a risk of loss. Losers appear less sensitive
to such risks, and may even be risk acceptant. The cumulative effect of electoral loss was
also found to reduce satisfaction with democracy. We discuss what these findings might
tell us about the stability of political institutions.
Prepared for presentation at the 2004 American Political Science Association meeting,
Chicago, IL. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 2003 Midwest Political
Science Association meeting. Copyright Bowler and Donovan.
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