ELITE’S RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LOCAL POLITICAL ELITES’ BEHAVIORS AND PEOPLES’ LOCAL VOTING DECISION MAKING AT LANSAK DISTRICT UTHAITHANI PROVINCE

Abstract

Objectives of this research were 1. To study the level of people's decision-making in local elections, 2. To study the relationship between political behavior of local leaders with the decision of the people in the local elections, 3. To apply Buddha-dhamma, Sanghaavattu 4 in decision for local election. Methodology was the mixed methods. The quantitative research, data were collected with questionnaires from 397 samples, analyzed with social statistical analysis package using descriptive statistics, and inferential statistics The qualitative method collected data with structured in-depth-interview script from 18 key informants by in-depth-interviewing and analyzed by content descriptive interpretation.

Findings were as follows: 1. People’s decision to vote in local election at Lansak District, Uthaithani Province, by overall were at high level. Local politicians’ behavior, by overall, were at high level. 2. The relationship between political behavior of local leaders with the decision of the people in the local elections in Lansak District, Uthaithani Province, by overall, had positive relation at r = 0.248** with statistically significant level at .01. 3. The application of Sanghavattu 4 could be done as follows: people should consider electing local leaders from characteristics of being sacrifice, direct and timely speaking, sincere doing, the words of applicable and understandable advice for others, helpful to people and community, even and equal treatment of duty with ethics, community help and self-development.