| 释义 |
psephology|sɪˈfɒlədʒɪ, sɛf-|
[f. psepho- + -ology.]
The study of public elections, and statistical analysis of trends in voting; loosely, the prediction of electoral results.
1952D. E. Butler Brit. Gen. Election of 1951 1 It..seems appropriate to preface this book with a discussion of why elections merit study and an examination of how much has been..learnt from psephology... I am indebted to Mr. R. B. McCallum for the invention of this word to describe the field of research in which he is so eminent a pioneer. It is derived from ψῆϕος—the pebble which the Athenians dropped into an urn to vote. 1952Economist 4 Oct. 18 (heading) British psephology. 1957Ibid. 21 Sept. 917/2 Even with the present degree of Liberal revival in the country, prudent (as distinct from roseate) psephology suggests that the only new seats the Liberals might pick up [etc.]. 1958Times 6 Nov. 6/5 (heading) Material for psephology—Chichester figures anxiously awaited. 1973Guardian 25 May 12/2 Even with the aid of psephology, it remains difficult to detect what precisely turns votes.
So psephoˈlogical a., psephoˈlogically adv.; pseˈphologist, a political scientist who specializes in the study of elections; an electoral analyst or commentator.
1952N.Y. Herald Tribune 8 Aug. (Late City Ed.) 12/3 He [sc. R. B. McCallum] suggested I [sc. D. E. Butler] call myself a psephologist. 1952Daily Express 30 Sept. 4/3 (heading) Psephologically speaking: you may vote for a good-looking party. 1955D. E. Butler Brit. Gen. Election of 1955 p. v, Acknowledgements..Mr. R. B. McCallum and Mr. H. G. Nicholas, my psephological mentors, gave me much valuable help. 1958New Scientist 27 Mar. 32/1 The next General Election should provide the first opportunity modern Britain will have seen of testing a little-known and much neglected psephological law. 1958Times 6 Nov. 6/5 The psephologists at Central Office and Transport House will be..ready to read into the results of Chichester, and all the other by-elections pending, sinister or cheering evidence. 1962Times 16 Mar. 13/2 Psephologically, and even more psychologically, it [sc. the Orpington by-election] is in a class by itself. 1964Time 4 Nov. 3 By 9 p.m., when Vermont had plopped into the Democratic column and television's psephologists flatly declared Johnson the winner, the answer became obvious: very, very, big. 1969Daily Tel. 9 Sept. 17/6 If psephological calculations mean anything, enough votes will be mustered by Spain to secure an adverse vote against Britain. 1977Oxford Times 29 Apr. 10/2 Whatever happens next Thursday will be psephologically interesting. 1977Times 25 July 8/4 The repercussion of this estrangement (the psephological importance of which has yet to be fathomed) was felt in the economy. 1977Time 21 Nov. 28/2 Psephologists will be sorting out the particulars for months to come, but one trend was clear in last week's off-year election returns: a solid vote for sanity. |