Publication Date

5-2011

Advisor(s) - Committee Chair

Dr. James Kanan (Director), Dr. John Musalia, Dr. Douglas Smith

Degree Program

Department of Sociology

Degree Type

Master of Arts

Abstract

To understand attitudes about voting in Kenya, this study examines Kenyan voters’ feelings of freedom to vote according to their own will and without pressure. More specifically it seeks to determine the extent to which these feelings are affected by 1) perception of corruption, 2) levels of trust in the government, 3) fear of political violence and intimidation, and 4) ethnic identity. Rational choice theory and an insideroutsider perspective are applied to examine the issue from a theoretical framework. Previous research conducted in relation to voting behavior and perception of corruption, trust in government, and ethnicity, among other things, are considered. This study uses secondary data collected by the Afrobarometer in 2008, and bivaraite and multivariatea nalysis are employed.

Logistic regression models are used to examine the extent to which certain variables explain feelings of freedom to vote according to personal preference. The results from the logistic regression analyses show that both trust in government and fear of being subject to political violence and intimidation affect Kenyan voters’ feelings of freedom to vote according to their personal preference. These results support two hypotheses. First, Kenyan voters will feel freer to vote according to their own preference as their levels of trust in the government increase. Second, Kenyan voters’ feelings of freedom to vote will be negatively associated with fear of being subject to political violence and intimidation.

Disciplines

Politics and Social Change | Race and Ethnicity | Sociology

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