本研究首先藉由「政治世代」的概念劃分出「年輕選民」及「年長選民」,並依據臺灣2000年總統選舉首次政黨輪替作為新舊世代選民的區分基準,探討代表臺灣新世代的年輕選民(西元1980年以後出生),相較於舊世代的年長選民(西元1979年以前出生),在選舉過程中投票態度與投票行為有無持續或變化上的差異,及兩者間的投票意願和投票抉擇是否存在著不一樣的考量觀點。在使用2012年總統選舉期間所蒐集建立的民意調查資料庫進行統計檢定後,研究結果發現:一、年輕選民相對於年長選民,除了在選舉過程中整體的投票態度較容易呈現波動不穩定的狀態外,選前投票態度與實際投票行為間也有較大機會出現變動之情形。二、政黨認同在年輕選民投票意願形塑過程中所發揮的影響力是大於候選人評價的。三、年輕選民在作出投票對象的抉擇時,候選人評價是最為重要的投票考量因素。
For the purpose of this essay, voters are classified into “younger” and “older” voters based on the concept of “political generations,” that has been established based on the 2000 Presidential Election in Taiwan, which marks the first political party alteration in the country’s history. This essay analyzes whether the voting attitude and voting behavior of younger voters (born after 1980 AD) had remained consistent or had varied in contrast to older voters (born before 1979 AD), and whether there existed different perspectives and considerations in terms of their willingness to vote and their choices. Based on the statistical analysis of the 2012 presidential election poll database, this essay reaches three conclusions: First, compared with older voters, younger voters displayed a tendency to constantly change their opinions during the election and their actual votes are more likely different from their original beliefs. Second, party identification plays a more important role than candidate evaluation in shaping younger voters’ willingness to vote. Third, candidate evaluation is the most important consideration that determines who younger voters would vote for.