Dynamics and Influences: Local and National Politics in Khon Kaen Province's House of Representatives Elections, District 3
Keywords:
Electoral Dynamics, Political Landscapes, Voter Behavior, Political Campaigns, Social Media in Politics, Policy InfluenceAbstract
This study offers a nuanced exploration of the interplay between national and local political dynamics in Thailand, with a particular focus on Electoral District 3 of Khon Kaen Province. It delves into the complex political environment surrounding the pivotal elections of May 14, 2023, utilizing a Mixed Methods approach to integrate both quantitative and qualitative insights from a stratified sample of 400 voters. At the core of this investigation is a robust regression analysis that rigorously quantifies the impact of various determinants on electoral outcomes. The analysis reveals that policy preferences overwhelmingly influence voter behavior, significantly more than other variables such as political campaigns or party affiliations. This suggests a discerning electorate that prioritizes substantive policy over traditional factors such as campaign dynamics or party loyalty. Additionally, factors like voter engagement and campaign strategies, though less influential, still play notable roles in shaping electoral decisions. This comprehensive study advances our understanding of Thai electoral politics by illustrating how national reforms and local characteristics converge to influence voter decisions in an evolving democratic landscape. It challenges existing political science paradigms and offers critical insights into the efficacy of electoral strategies and the maturation of democratic processes in Thailand.
References
Adeshina, S. A., & Ojo, A. (2020). Factors for e-voting adoption-analysis of general elections in Nigeria. Government Information Quarterly, 37(3), 101257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2017.09.006
Almond, G. A., & Powell, G. B. (1978). Comparative Politics: System, Process, and Policy. Boston: Little, Brown
Arceneaux, K., & Vander Wielen, R. J. (2023). Do voters prefer educated candidates? How candidate education influences vote choice in congressional elections. Electoral Studies, 82, 102596. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electstud.2023.102596
Banyikhan, S. (1994). Local politics in Thailand. Bangkok: Ramkhamhaeng University.
Bardhan, P., Mitra, S., Mookherjee, D., & Sarkar, A. (2008). Political Participation, Clientelism and Targeting of Local Government Programs: Analysis of Survey Results from Rural West Bengal, India. Boston: Department of Economics, Boston University.
Barton, A. R., Sherman, M. A., Mukamel, R. E., & Loh, P. R. (2021). Whole-exome imputation within UK Biobank powers rare coding variant association and fine-mapping analyses. Nature Genetics, 53(8), 1260-1269. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-021-00892-1
Boonsiri, K. (2023). Election campaigning through online social media of the candidates for provincial governor of Songkhla province from the Palang Pracharath Party. Humanities and Social Sciences Journal, 20(3), 165-187.
Chawaratsakulkit, T. (2013). Factors Influencing Electoral Decision-Making of Members of Parliament: A Case Study of Voters in Chiang Mai Province. Unpublished Master’s Thesis, Kirk University, Bangkok.
Cheeseman, N., & Klaas, B. (2018). How to Rig an Election. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Cohen, B. J. (1971). The Future of Sterling as an International Currency. London: Macmillan.
Cox, G. W. (2009). Authoritarian Elections and Leadership Succession, 1975-2004. Paper presented at the meeting of the APSA 2009 Annual Meeting, Toronto.
Dadi, A. F. P., Nugroho, D. A., Kocu, E. M. J., Toroby, R. J., & De Fretes, D. R. (2024). An in-depth examination of the political landscape in Indonesia: Unraveling complexities in the evolving dynamics of general elections, political party evolution, and multi-dimensional civic engagement. International Journal of Society Reviews, 2(2), 495-511.
Dalton, R. J. (2000). The decline of party identifications. In M. P. Wattenberg (Ed.). Parties without Partisans: Political Change in Advanced Industrial Democracies. Oxford University Press.
Easton, D. (1957). An approach to the analysis of political systems. World Politics, 9(3), 383-400. https://doi.org/10.2307/2008920
Effing, R., van Hillegersberg, J., & Huibers, T. W. C. (2011). Social media and political participation: Are Facebook, Twitter and YouTube democratizing our political systems? In Tambouris, E., Macintosh, A., & de Bruijn, H. (Eds.). Electronic Participation. ePart 2011. Berlin: Springer.
Esping-Andersen, G. (1990). The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
Evans, J. J., & Gaddie, K. (2021). The U.S. Supreme Court’s Democratic Spaces. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Firmansyah, M. F. (2021). Impact of political institutional role to anti-corruption perception index: An experience from Indonesia. International Journal of Community Service & Engagement, 2(1), 20-41. https://doi.org/10.47747/ijcse.v2i1.145
Harrison, K. M., Yoo, B., Thelen, S., & Ford, J. (2023). What draws voters to brandidates and why? Political orientation, personal satisfaction, and societal values on presidential candidates’ brand personality. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 32(1), 59-78. https://doi.org/ 10.1108/JPBM-08-2021-3606
Huntington, S. P., & Nelson, J. M. (1976). No Easy Choice: Political Participation in Developing Countries. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Klaodee, A. (2021). Framework for election participation. University of Political Studies. Retrieved from http://www.universitywebsite.com/framework2021.
Lester, D. (1968). Response alternation: A review. The Journal of Psychology, 69(1), 131-142. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.1968.10543458
Limpaisal, T. (2005). People’s Participation in the Election of Lamphun Provincial Chief Administrator. Unpublished Master’s Thesis, Chiang Mai University.
Mankhoksoong, P. (2012). Study of Political Dynamics and Voting Behavior of Members of Parliament in Sakon Nakhon Province 2011. Sakon Nakhon Rajabhat University.
Mehrizi, M., Corò, F., Cruciani, E., & D’Angelo, G. (2022). Election control through social influence with voters’ uncertainty. Journal of Combinatorial Optimization, 44(1), 635-669. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10878-022-00852-3
Mettler, S., & Soss, J. (2004). The consequences of public policy for democratic citizenship: Bridging policy studies and mass politics. Perspectives on Politics, 2(1), 55-73. https://doi.org/ 10.1017/S1537592704000623
Mietzner, M. (2018). Fighting illiberalism with illiberalism: Islamist populism and democratic deconsolidation in Indonesia. Pacific Affairs, 91(2), 261-282. https://doi.org/10.5509/2018912261
Muenjong, N. (2016). Factors Influencing Electoral Decision-Making of Provincial Representatives in Rayong Province: A Study in the Year 2016. Unpublished Master’s Thesis, Kirk University, Bangkok.
Nguyen, T. T. N., & Nguyen, T. P. (2023). The political participation of local citizens in the elections of local leaders in Vietnam. Transforming Government: People, Process, and Policy, 17(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1108/TG-01-2022-0008
Norris, P. (2002). Democratic Phoenix: Reinventing Political Activism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Office of the Election Commission of Thailand. (2023). Results of the 2023 MP Elections. Retrieved from https://www.ect.go.th/ect_th/th/mp66-report.
Omotayo, F., & Folorunso, M. B. (2020). Use of social media for political participation by youths. JeDEM-eJournal of eDemocracy and Open Government, 12(1), 132-157. https://doi.org/10.29379/jedem.v12i1.585
Pérez-Liñán, A., & Mainwaring, S. (2013). Regime legacies and levels of democracy: Evidence from Latin America. Comparative Politics, 45(4), 379-397. https://doi.org/10.5129/001041513X13815259182785
Reményi, P., Gekić, H., Bidžan-Gekić, A., & Sümeghy, D. (2023). Contextual factors influencing election results in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Quality & Quantity, 53. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-023-01622-x
Sanguanpong, R. (2000). Political Interest and the Perception of Eligible Voters in Bangkok towards the Role of the Election Commission (EC). Unpublished Master’s Thesis, Dhurakij Pundit University, Bangkok.
Schedler, A. (2013). The Politics of Uncertainty: Sustaining and Subverting Electoral Authoritarianism. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Selway, J. S. (2011). Electoral reform and public policy outcomes in Thailand: The politics of the 30-baht health scheme. World Politics, 63(1), 165-202. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0043887110000316
Sides, J., Vavreck, L., & Warshaw, C. (2022). The effect of television advertising in United States elections. American Political Science Review, 116(2), 702–718. https://doi.org/10.1017/S000305542100112X
Sombatsiri, P. (2020). Political Image Management Strategies of Government Leaders: A Case Study of General Prayut Chan-o-cha. Unpublished Master’s Thesis, National Institute of Development Administration, Bangkok.
Suaib, E., Jusoff, K., Abdullah, M. Z., Zuada, L. H., & Suacana, I. W. G. (2017). The effect of the party’s image relationship to voters’ satisfaction and voters’ loyalty. International Journal of Law and Management, 59(6), 1013-1028. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLMA-09-2016-0078.
Tajuddin, A. (2016). Development, democracy, and post-Islamism in Indonesia. International Journal of Social Science Studies, 4, 41. https://doi.org/10.11114/ijsss.v4i11.1924
The Citizen Plus. (2023). Listening to the voices of Thailand: The people's voice choosing the future of Isan @ Khon Kaen. The National Broadcasting and Publicity Organization of Thailand. Retrieved from https://thecitizen.plus/node/75979.
Tsai, C. H., Tan, A. C., & Jung, K. (2019). An analysis of the 2014 New Zealand general election: Do internet use and online party mobilisation matter? Political Science, 71(1), 79-91. https://doi.org/10.1080/00323187.2019.1626747.
Wilson, D. A., & Phillips, H. P. (1958). Elections and parties in Thailand. Far Eastern Survey, 27(8), 113-119. https://doi.org/10.2307/3024404
Worrakittimalee, T. (2020). Change and Continuity of Political Networks through the Direct Local Elections: Case Study of Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, and Khon Kaen Provinces. Unpublished Master’s Thesis, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.