Median Voter Theorem and the Role of Income

Recent studies have shown that the trend of the last few elections is one that favors the wealthy. The study builds upon research results that show the rich are more likely to be Republican. This article discusses the median voter theorem and how this trend affects the outcome of elections. Less people are voting these days, and a pattern is also seen in the different classes of voters and non-voters: low-income voters tend not to vote and are also more likely to support Obamacare. From Downs we have learned that the median voter will still determine the final outcome even when the distribution is asymmetric, as it is in this case. This current trend leads the median voter to be more affluent as well as more conservative. So, “all of this suggests that more turnout, particularly among low-income voters, would shift our political system to the left.” Low-income voters have an incentive to vote because many states with a smaller gap between voters and non-voters have policies and laws that would be beneficial to them. While an increase in low-income voters won’t dominate the power of the wealthy, it would allow them to make politicians adhere to some of their demands.