ABSTRACT
Presidential elections are rich with implications for democracy in America. Not only do they permit the selection and retention of the peoples’ choice for president, they also allow the public to express its policy preferences. While modern electoral studies have much to say about presidential selection, they have very little to say about the impact of the vote on policy. If the raison d’être of democracy is to permit ordinary citizens to influence what government does, then that is a serious oversight. The policy questions that most affect voter interests usually arise and are sometimes vigorously debated during presidential campaigns, but do those who take the trouble to vote in presidential elections actually influence policy?
