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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
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Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
The Impact Of Education On Legislative Responsiveness In Three Field Experiments, Jayme Neiman
The Impact Of Education On Legislative Responsiveness In Three Field Experiments, Jayme Neiman
Faculty Publications
Three field experiments were used to investigate whether a constituent’s education level influences state legislators’ responsiveness to their request for assistance. Legislators were sent emails that were randomly varied as to the education level of the writer. Results indicate that communication from constituents with lower education levels receive fewer replies. Two potential explanations for the variation in legislative response are explored—political party and the legislator’s own education level. Analysis suggests that neither of these variables account for the response differential to the email manipulations.
Voting At Home Is Associated With Lower Cortisol Than Voting At The Polls, Jayme Neiman, Karl Gieseffi, Kevin Smith, Jeffrey French, Israel Waismel-Manor, John Hibbing
Voting At Home Is Associated With Lower Cortisol Than Voting At The Polls, Jayme Neiman, Karl Gieseffi, Kevin Smith, Jeffrey French, Israel Waismel-Manor, John Hibbing
Faculty Publications
Previous research finds that voting is a socially stressful activity associated with increases in cortisol levels. Here we extend this research by investigating whether different voting modalities have differential effects on the stress response to voting. Results from a field experiment conducted during the 2012 presidential elections strongly suggest that traditional “at the polls” voting is more stressful, as measured by increases in cortisol levels, than voting at home by mail-in ballot or engaging in comparable non-political social activities. These findings imply that increased low-stress voting options such as mail-in ballots may increase political participation among individuals who are sensitive …