POLITICAL BEHAVIOR OF CITIZENS IN LOCAL ELECTIONS IN CHENIANG SUBDISTRICT, MUEANG DISTRICT, SURIN PROVINCE
Keywords:
Political behavior, Local elections, Social networks.Abstract
This research aimed to: 1) examine the factors influencing voters' electoral behavior in Chaniang Subdistrict, Mueang Surin District, Surin Province; 2) investigate the roles of social networks and interpersonal relationships in local political decision-making; and 3) propose guidelines for enhancing political behavior and strengthening local governance. The study addresses a research gap in the existing literature, which has primarily explained voting behavior through demographic characteristics and traditional political influences, while giving limited attention to the integrated roles of social networks and online media in the context of local politics. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining a survey with in-depth interviews. The quantitative sample consisted of 385 eligible voters selected from a population of 10,029 using proportionate stratified random sampling based on village distribution. The research instrument was a five-point Likert-scale questionnaire with a reliability coefficient of 0.923. Qualitative data were collected through in-depth interviews with ten key informants. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis, while qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis.
The findings revealed that the overall level of factors influencing political behavior was moderate (x̄ = 3.40), with candidate characteristics, policy platforms, and kinship and social networks exerting the strongest influence. The overall level of political behavior was also moderate (x̄ = 3.36). Length of residence was the only demographic variable that produced statistically significant differences in political behavior. The six influencing factors jointly explained 32.2% of the variance in political behavior, with kinship and social networks emerging as the strongest predictor. The qualitative findings confirmed that voters continued to value candidates' integrity and performance; however, the increasing accessibility of online media has reduced the influence of traditional vote brokers and kinship-based political mobilization, particularly among younger generations.
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