Politics of National and Local Elections in Langsuan Municipality Chumphon Province

Abstract

     The study of “National Politics and Local Elections in Langsuan Municipality,Chumphon Province” has two objectives:1) To study the key factors that affect the Langsuan Municipality population’s voting decisions during national and local elections and local elections; and 2) to study the Democrat Party’s role in local elections.This study uses qualitative research methods that focus on primary data by using documents together with in-depth interviews with subjects who live in Langsuan Municipality.The results of the study will be reflected in the analysis of the following issues.

     The study found that in national elections, the most significant factor that affects the public’s decision on election was political party. This is because in national elections, most of the people still have a strong attachment to the Democrat Party. Local elections are different because the public focuses on the qualifications of each candidate, making this the most important factor because of the public view that local elections are relevant and affect their lives. Therefore, the consideration of candidates’ qualifications is crucial.

     Findings also reveal that the Democrat Party’s role during local elections is limited because, after extensive interviews with Langsuan Municipality’s voters, the majority of the population does not take national level political party into  consideration during local elections. Analyzing the role of Democrat Party members in Chumphon Province reveals that all members of a party play important roles in building the province into a political stronghold of the Democrat Party.