Political Brand: Political Socialization Process and Development of Voting Intentions

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to study the phenomenon of voting intentions of Pakistani voters. This study aimed to enhance voter participation in Pakistan's general elections, which has consistently been reported at very low levels in recent years. The contribution of different political socialization agents was thoroughly assessed for their influence on attitudinal and psychological constructs that collectively drive the voters’ intent to vote. Using a multi-stage sampling process, a sample of 500 respondents was obtained for data collection from randomly selected 30 provincial constituencies of Pakistan as per the existing divisional scheme by the Election Commission of Pakistan. The technique of PLS-SEM was utilized for testing the study’s hypotheses. Analyses’ results indicated a significant positive impact of all political socialization agents on emotional response, social identity, and voting intentions. Additionally, emotional response and social identity were found to positively influence trust and commitment for a party. Furthermore, the indirect effects of political socialization, emotional response, social identity, trust in the party, and commitment to the party were also found to hold for their positive causal impact. The study’s findings provide important theoretical as well as practical implications, especially for keeping the vote bank more engaged and active.