MOOCHERS AND MAKERS IN THE VOTING BOOTH: WHO BENEFITS FROM FEDERAL SPENDING AND HOW DID THEY VOTE IN THE 2012 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION?

The 2012 election campaign popularized the notion that people who benefit from federal spending vote for Democrats, while people who pay the preponderance of taxes vote Republican. A survey conducted during the election included questions to test this hypothesis and to assess the accuracy of voters&...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Public opinion quarterly 2014-01, Vol.78 (S1), p.255-275
Main Author: LACY, DEAN
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Federal taxes
Government
Government spending
Income taxes
Insurance benefits
Obama, Barack
Older adults
Party identification
Political campaigns
Political parties
Polls & surveys
Presidential elections
Romney, W Mitt
Studies
Tax benefits
Taxpaying
Voter behavior
Voters
Voting
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Summary:The 2012 election campaign popularized the notion that people who benefit from federal spending vote for Democrats, while people who pay the preponderance of taxes vote Republican. A survey conducted during the election included questions to test this hypothesis and to assess the accuracy of voters' perceptions of federal spending. Voters' perceptions of their benefit from federal spending are determined by family income, age, employment status, and number of children, as well as by party identification and race. Voters aged 65 and older who believe they are net beneficiaries of federal spending are more likely to be Democrats and vote for Barack Obama than seniors who believe they are net contributors to the federal government. However, the 77.5 percent of voters under age 65 who believe they are net beneficiaries of federal spending are as likely to vote for Romney as for Obama and as likely to be Republicans as Democrats. Voters who live in states that receive more in federal funds than they pay in federal taxes are less likely to vote for Obama or to be Democrats. For most of the electorate, dependence on federal spending is unrelated to vote choice.
ISSN:0033-362X
1537-5331
DOI:10.1093/poq/nfu016