What is the importance of understanding the psychological factors of voting behavior?

Democracy requires people to participate, it encourages people to participate. Even if a representative democracy may feel distant, the reality is that voters are more likely to see their petitions and interests protected than non voter. Yet, many people don’t vote. Understanding the reasons why people don’t vote, or why they chose a certain candidate over another, reveals issues in our society that may not be obvious. Politics is not always rational or easy to interpret in terms of interests, sometimes because people are not fully aware of their interest and how the candidates can protect them or harm them. Emotion drives voting as much as reason if not more. Politologist and campaign experts study this behaviors and use it in diverse ways.