"It's the Electability, Stupid"--or Not? Electability, Substance, and Strategic Voting in Presidential Primaries.

We report results of an experiment that tests the effect of different information on the role of electability and policy considerations in voters' candidate evaluations. We find that both substance and electability affect candidate evaluations. More sophisticated respondents were affected by the traditional Democratic issue of social security, while less sophisticated respondents were more affected by the issue of reviving the economy. Both groups were affected by positive electability information given with poll numbers. We find evidence of strategic considerations in voters' decision-making processes. Presidential primary candidates' electability and issue emphases both matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]