The behavior and motivation of the participants in the 11th Islamic Consultative Assembly elections from the perspective of Anthony Downs' rational choice model: Case study of Ahvaz city

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1 Ph.D. student of Political Science, Faculty of Political Science, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

2 Professor of the Department of Political Science and International Relations, School of Law and Political Science, Science and Research Unit, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

10.30465/cps.2024.48499.3372

Abstract

Participation in elections is the most effective tool for citizens to express their opinions in political and social affairs and influence the political destiny of their country. The main factors influencing the electoral behavior of individuals and participating groups are numerous and have variable results, including economic variables. The subject of this article is the reasons for the decrease in citizens' participation in the elections of the 11th session of the Islamic Consultative Assembly. To better explain the issue, Anthony Downs’s rational choice theory has been used. According to this theory, citizens vote with a rational choice and for their economic interests. The statistical population of this research was the citizens of Ahvaz and it was realized through the qualitative (targeted) and quantitative (random) research method and the questionnaire research tool. In this statistical sample, 385 people were selected by Cochran's formula, and then the obtained data were analyzed with SPSS software. According to the results of the research, along with other factors, economic causes such as livelihood problems, poverty, class gap, inflation and protests in January 2016 and November 2018 have played a significant role in reducing the participation of Ahvaz citizens.

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