Prospective voting refers to evaluating a candidate based on which criterion?

Prospective voting refers to evaluating a candidate based on which criterion?

• A. Past performance.
• B. Future plans or performance.
• C. Party loyalty.
• D. Economic indicators.

Answer: (B)

Prospective voting looks at what a candidate says they will do and the outcomes those plans are expected to produce in the future. Voters imagine how policies—like tax changes, healthcare reform, or education initiatives—would work if the candidate were elected and judge whether those promised results are desirable. This forward-looking approach is about anticipated performance under the candidate’s leadership, not what has already happened. That’s why the best choice centers on future plans or anticipated performance. It’s distinct from judging a candidate based on past accomplishments (retrospective voting), focusing on party loyalty, or using current economic indicators alone as the criterion. Economic indicators can inform evaluation, but the core criterion in prospective voting is the candidate’s stated plans and the expected future impact.

Prospective voting looks at what a candidate says they will do and the outcomes those plans are expected to produce in the future. Voters imagine how policies—like tax changes, healthcare reform, or education initiatives—would work if the candidate were elected and judge whether those promised results are desirable. This forward-looking approach is about anticipated performance under the candidate’s leadership, not what has already happened.

That’s why the best choice centers on future plans or anticipated performance. It’s distinct from judging a candidate based on past accomplishments (retrospective voting), focusing on party loyalty, or using current economic indicators alone as the criterion. Economic indicators can inform evaluation, but the core criterion in prospective voting is the candidate’s stated plans and the expected future impact.