TY  - RPRT
N2  - This paper implements a unified model of individual abstention and vote choice to analyze
policy-based alienation and indifference in Brazil?s 2002 presidential election. The
results indicate that both alienation and indifference depressed turnout, with indifference
contributing slightly more to voter abstention. Also, the determinants of alienation and
indifference differed considerably, the former being determined by structural factors such
as voters? information and perceived efficacy levels, while the latter was related to shortterm
aspects such as parties? mobilization efforts. More importantly, evidence shows
that while alienation and indifference were strongly influenced by attitudinal and protest
variables, they were also affected by citizens? evaluation of candidates? ideological locations.
The main conclusion is that abstention in Brazil?s 2002 election had a policy-driven
component and that spatial considerations played a substantive role in citizens? electoral
behavior, a fact that has been overlooked in previous research on the determinants of
abstention in Latin America.
TI  - Policy-based abstention in Brazil?s 2002 Election
VL  - Social Science Working Paper 1288
N1  - JEL classification numbers: J222, F88
A1  - Katz, Gabriel
Y1  - 2007///
M1  - working_paper
AV  - none
KW  - Abstention
KW  -  indifference
KW  -  alienation
KW  -  unified model
UR  - http://www.hss.caltech.edu/SSPapers/sswp1288.pdf
PB  - California Institute of Technology
EP  - 39
ID  - eprints91
ER  -