Contexts, networks, and the vote
An analysis of environmental effects on electoral behavior in Italy

Area 14 – Scienze politiche e sociali

Contrary to commonly held theories of political behavior in Europe, the political environment, intended as the interaction of interpersonal communication among peers and spatio–temporal contexts, plays a crucial role in influencing individuals’ political attitudes and behaviors. This book’s analysis makes a number of contributions, showing the effect that interpersonal communication and contextual pressure had on the electorate during the elections of the early 2010s in Italy. By employing advanced quantitative techniques (such as multilevel and agent–based modeling), it is argued that the context — the distribution of potential discussants in the spatio–temporal environment — interacts with the interpersonal networks in which people are embedded, contributing to explaining patterns of vote change and stability of Italian citizens.

SINTESI