Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Honors Thesis (Open Access)

Department

Colby College. Government Dept.

Advisor(s)

Dan Shea

Second Advisor

Nicholas Jacobs

Abstract

This thesis explores the democratic consequences of uncontested state legislature elections in the United States, focusing on how the absence of electoral competition influences both voter engagement and political attitudes. While state legislatures wield significant influence over public policy and resource allocation, an increasing number of these elections proceed without meaningful opposition. Drawing on an original survey of 2,775 respondents, this study tests two core hypotheses: first, that uncontested state legislature elections lead to decreased voter engagement, as reflected in voter attitude towards election participation and candidate qualities; and second, that uncontested state legislature elections increase negative attitudes towards government and distrust in government among voters.

Survey questions assessed respondents' likelihood of voting under uncompetitive conditions, their perceptions of state government performance and representation, and their attitudes toward candidate quality and electoral fairness. The results reveal that individuals in uncontested districts are significantly more likely to question whether their participation matters and express lower confidence in their state government. Although some measures of engagement, such as stated likelihood of voting, did not decline as sharply as expected, indicators of attitudinal disengagement, particularly neutral or negative views toward government performance and care, were more pronounced among those in uncontested districts. Cross-tabulations with employment and regional controls further confirmed that the status of electoral competition is a strong predictor of political trust and perceived efficacy.

Ultimately, the findings offer strong support for the second hypothesis: that uncontested state legislature elections increase negative attitudes towards government and distrust in government among voters. While evidence for decreased engagement is more suggestive than conclusive, the data indicate that voters without meaningful electoral choice are more likely to feel politically powerless and detached from the democratic process. These results have significant implications for the health of American democracy, highlighting the need to reinvigorate electoral competition at the state level to restore trust, accountability, and voter agency in government.

Keywords

Uncontested elections, elections, State Legislatures

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