The role of education in shaping voting behavior: Insights from the Taiwan 2021 Referendum

Many studies document an association between education and civic engagement, but few establish credible causal links due to limited data. In 2021, Taiwanese voters decided on four public issues via a referendum. Slightly disproportionate results vetoed all issues. The mobilization of the ruling and opposing parties to encourage their supporters to veto or support all issues left an unsettled question: What role does education play in shaping voting behavior? This study examined 7,588 village-level data containing socioeconomic statistics, citizens' educational levels, and voting behaviors. Using the instrumental variable approach to investigate the causality between citizens' education levels and voting behaviors, this study finds that villages with higher portions of citizens having a bachelor's degree or above have higher voting rates. Regardless of the different arguments for and against each of the four referendum proposals, these villages are also more likely to veto all four issues, indicating a complex relationship between education and political decision-making. This study contributes to discussions about the public benefits of education on society and suggests caution in assuming that education alone can counteract the effects of a polarized political climate.