KNYGA Da-chi Liao Political Behavior and Technology

Political Behavior and Technology considers the operation of computerized voting advice applications (VAAs) and the consequences they have on voter behavior in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. As the use of VAAs grows beyond the large party systems of European parliamentary democracies into an Asian context, new questions are emerging about the nature of political information, its role in shaping voter choices, the implications of VAAs for parties, and the cultural and institutional mediation of these technologies. The evidence shows that VAA use in East Asia has significantly different implications than in the more familiar European cases where VAA use is quite common. Although VAAs are intended to simplify voter choices and encourage issue voting, the results here show that they increase participation among otherwise politically alienated populations, and they may encourage voting for minor parties.