The paradox of voting intelligently

Classical economic models predict far less voting than happens in practice. Expressive voting may partly explain the divergence, but some who are generally uninterested in politics and thus unlikely to take elections as an important form of personal expression nevertheless vote. One possible explanation is that these voters overestimate the instrumental, outcome-changing consequences of voting; such systematic misperception may be more likely among those with less cognitive capacity. Analysis of responses to the American National Election Studies confirms this hypothesis: while intelligence and interest both increase the likelihood of voting, the combination enhances the likelihood of turnout still further.