Psephology

Template:Elections Psephology is a term that was once used for the statistical study of elections. Psephology uses compilations of precinct voting returns for elections going back some years, public opinion polls, campaign finance information and similar statistical data. The term was coined (from the Greek psephos, 'pebble', which the Greeks used as ballots) in the United Kingdom in 1952 by historian R. B. McCallum to describe the scientific analysis of past elections. In Britain the term occasionally appears in the scholarly literature.

In the United States the term has been very rarely used since the 1960s except in a sarcastic sense. Political journalists sometimes ridicule people who try to scientifically predict future elections by calling it psephology, suggesting it is akin to astrology. Thus journalist David Broder has explained, "The science of interpreting elections has a fancy name: psephology. A shorter, simpler and more accurate title for much election analysis is: fiction." [David S. Broder, "Psephology Finds Only Voter Indifference;" syndicated column in Austin American Statesman Sep 16, 1989]

Psephology also has various applications specifically in analysing the results of election returns for current indicators, as opposed to predictive purposes. For instance, the Gallagher Index measures the disproportionality of an election.

Reference

• William Safire. New Political Dictionary, Random House, New York 1993.

See also

• List of democracy and elections-related topics
• ACE Project - Comprehensive information resource for Electoral Design and Administartion. Includes much comparative data on elections and electoral systems
• 'Psephos' Dr. Adam Carr's Elections Archive
• International IDEA - International Organisation providing (amongst other things) statistical analysis of elections and electoral systems