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Fairness and Vote Choice in the 1984 Presidential Election

The University of Chicago

Tom R. Tyler

Northwestern University

Two images of the voter are examined for factors explaining vote choice. The first image suggests that the voter operates as a consumer in the political environment. In this view, the voter shops for the best personal "value" in candidates based on judgments of short-term economic self-interest. The second image suggests that the voter is concerned about fairness. Results from two surveys suggest that vote choice in the 1984 election for president depended upon citizens' judgments of the fairness of the candidates as well as concerns about each candidate's ability to benefit them. Two types of fairness concerns, concerns about distributions and concerns about procedures, were investigated for their impact on vote choice. Of the two, procedural fairness significantly affected vote choice while distributive fairness did not. The results are discussed with respect to the relationship between procedural and distributive fairness, on the one hand, and American political values, on the other.

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