Party affiliation as a fact or party affiliation made by facts. The significance of issues for explaining voting behavior

Textbooks in empirical research of voting behavior usually distinguish betw een the sociological approach, the social psychological approach and the ra tional choice approach. The distinction is based on the component of explan ation on which each approach is focused. In doing so, it is neglected that the logic of explanation changes in accordance to the main determinant of v oting behavior. This paper points out this difference between the three app roaches, while concentrating on party affiliation and issues as components of explanation. With reference to the "Retrospective Voting" approach of Fi orina and attitude theories of Fishbein, Ajzen and Fazio an integrative mod el is presented in which the specific relevance of one of the two component s of explanation depends on the mode of decision making. The mode of decisi on making again also determines the logic of explanation.