Ideology in the 1980 Election: Ideological Sophistication Does Matter

Abstract

The debate over the extent of ideological awareness in the American electorate has been characterized as an argument over whether the "ideology glass" is half empty or half full. This characterization results from the fact that analyses to date have employed various alternative indicators of ideology in isolation from each other. This paper presents an integrated assessment of ideological thinking in the American electorate. Specifically, it examines the effects of partisanship, ideological identification and policy preferences on the presidential vote in 1980 within the "levels of conceptualization." It concludes that when ideological sentiment is supported by the level of sophistication required to merit classification as an "ideologue" it has a substantial impact on candidate choice. Under all other conditions its impact is marginal, at best.