Journal of Electoral Studies

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Cognitive Madisonianism and Split-Ticket Voting in Taiwan: A Generalized Structural Equation Modeling Approach
Kah-yew Lim
2018 / 05Volume 29, No.2

Abstract

Cognitive madisoniansim is crucial in political situations. It is not only an important value of democratic societies, but also a factor in explaining split-ticket voting. With the increase of minor parties and candidates, the media believe that Taiwan’s 2016 general elections have shown the most fierce split-ticket voting. It is worth mentioning that we shall not ignore the issue of endogeneity caused by partisanship when discussing the relationship between cognitive madisoniansim and split-ticket voting. Based on the panel data of TEDS2016, this study aims to recategorize the cognitive madisoniansim of the respondents and resolve the issue of endogeneity by applying a generalized structural equation model (GSEM). By doing so, we aim to examine the relationship between cognitive madisoniansim and splitticket voting.

The findings show that the public’s cognitive madisoniansim was indeed affected by party preference. DPP supporters have tended to support cognitive madisoniansim in the past. However, they stopped supporting it once the DDP took over the government. The KMT showed the opposite situation. They had been against cognitive madisoniansim in the past. When they began losing elections, they started to support it. Regarding voting decisions, cognitive madsoniansim has positive effects on people’s decisions about straight-ticket voting or split-ticket voting. Nevertheless, most voters who cast straight-ticket voting for the DPP are those who stopped supporting or constantly supported cognitive madisoniansim. These two groups of voters both prefer the DDP. This result indicates that the effect of voters’ cognitive madisoniansim on their voting behaviors still reflects their party preference. The above-mentioned issues present the endogeneity issue derived by explaining the split-ticket voting behaviors by cognitive madisoniansim and the inevitability of GSEM methods. We suggest that researchers not ignore the effect of party preference as they examine the relationship between cognitive madisoniansim and split-ticket voting.

Keywords

cognitive madisonianism

split-ticket voting

endogeneity

GSEM

party preference

Causal Inference and Treatment Effect Evaluation: Partial Identification Approach and Its Application to Electoral System Effect
Chi Huang
2010 / 11Volume 29, No.2

Abstract

In social science we routinely ask questions of the form: What is the effect of X on Y? Attempts to answer these questions unavoidably involve causal inference. However, social scientists relying on observational studies are often plagued by the endogeneity problem. That is, the treatment and control groups are not randomly assigned by researchers but formed spontaneously by some factors related to the causal variable of interest. Some existing parametric models, such as the popular Heckman's treatment-effects model, do take account endogeneity problem but are built upon quite stringent functional and distributional assumptions such as linearity and bivariate Normal distribution. Powerful as they are in point identifying causal parameters, their assumptions are not always met in reality. When these assumptions are violated, a better alternative is to adopt Charles F. Manski's nonparametric partial identification approach. This uncommon approach promotes forthright acknowledge of ambiguity in social science research and discredits misplaced certainty of point identification at the cost of imposing strong and yet incredible assumptions. Relying on available data and weak but credible assumptions, partial identification theory reveals the causal effect parameter that lies in a set that is smaller than the logical range of the parameter but lager than a single point. Yet it makes transparent the relationship between maintained assumptions and causal inference.Starting from the counterfactual model of causality, this article introduces Manski's partial identification theory and examines its implications on the upper and lower bounds of the average treatment effect (ATE). We then illustrate the approach by applying it to the case of Taiwan's 2008 Legislative Yuan election and examining whether Taiwan Solidarity Union's nomination in 13 single-member districts had any ”contamination effect” on its party list vote shares.

Keywords

causal inference

endogeneity problem

partial identification

mixed-member electoral systems

contamination effect