| Kurzfassung auf Englisch: |
| In this paper I argue that the strategic explanation of voting for the second preference
is untenable. Voters cannot vote for the second preference to avoid wasting their votes
because a single vote cannot affect the final outcome. After reviewing the theoretical
inconsistencies and empirical shortcomings of the literature of strategic voting, I develop a
non-instrumental explanation based on a suggestion by Brennan and Lomasky (1993).
Second-preference voting is modeled in terms of loyalty to parties and responsibility (voters
may consider it irresponsible to vote for a marginal party). This alternative explanation,
unlike the strategic theory, accounts for the fact that some potential second-preference voters
vote for their first preference. I test the validity of both theories for the case of Spanish
general and European elections in the period 1986-2000. |
