CLEP American Government, Chapter 31

Prospective voting

Citizens reward or punish an incumbent or governing party for perceived performance involving the economy, war, scandal, public services, crisis management, or promises kept. Pocketbook judgments emphasize personal economic experience; sociotropic judgments emphasize the broader economy. Attribution is difficult because presidents, Congress, the Federal Reserve, states, courts, foreign events, and private markets can all influence outcomes. Voters may still use a simple reward-or-punish shortcut because learning each institution's share of responsibility is costly.