What term describes decision shortcuts that reduce the need for heavy information gathering?

• A. Heuristics
• B. Rational Ignorance
• C. Pocketbook Voting
• D. Spatial Model of Voting

Answer: (A)

Decision shortcuts that reduce the need for heavy information gathering are heuristics. People rely on quick cues—like party affiliation, endorsements, or a candidate’s reputation—to form a vote choice without researching every policy detail. This approach lowers the cognitive effort and information costs while still guiding people toward a reasonable decision in many elections. By contrast, rational ignorance describes a deliberate choice to skip information because the cost of learning outweighs the expected benefit, not a spontaneous shortcut used during decision making. Pocketbook voting centers on personal financial concerns, and the spatial model explains voting based on how close a voter's positions are to a candidate’s policy positions, not shortcuts in information processing.