▁favorite ▁movie ▁critic . ▁Based ▁on ▁prior ▁experience ▁a ▁responsible ▁vot er ▁will ▁seek ▁polit icians ▁or ▁a ▁political ▁party ▁that ▁draw s ▁conclus ions ▁about ▁social ▁policy ▁that ▁are ▁similar ▁to ▁what ▁their ▁own ▁conclus ions ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁had ▁they ▁done ▁a ▁complete ▁analysis . ▁ ▁But ▁when ▁vot ers ▁find ▁themselves ▁agree ing ▁with ▁the ▁same ▁party ▁or ▁politician ▁across ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁election ▁cycles , ▁many ▁vot ers ▁simply ▁trust ▁that ▁the ▁same ▁will ▁continue ▁to ▁be ▁true ▁and ▁" vote ▁the ▁ticket ," ▁also ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁straight - t icket ▁voting , ▁instead ▁of ▁was ting ▁time ▁on ▁a ▁complete ▁investigation . ▁ ▁Crit ic isms ▁ ▁Much ▁of ▁the ▁empir ical ▁support ▁for ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁rational ▁ignor ance ▁was ▁drawn ▁from ▁studies ▁of ▁vot er ▁a path y , ▁which ▁reached ▁particularly ▁strong ▁conclus ions ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s . ▁However , ▁a path y ▁appeared ▁to ▁decl ine ▁sharp ly ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁as ▁concern ▁about ▁issues ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Vietnam ▁War ▁mounted , ▁and ▁political ▁polar ization ▁increased . ▁This ▁is ▁consistent ▁with ▁expect ations ▁from ▁Public ▁Cho ice ▁Theory ; ▁as ▁vot ers ' ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁results ▁of ▁policy ▁dec isions ▁increase , ▁the ▁perce ived ▁benefit ▁of ▁the ▁analysis ▁( or ▁the ▁trip ▁to ▁the ▁ball ot ▁box ) ▁increases , ▁so ▁more ▁people ▁will ▁consider ▁it ▁rational ▁to ▁repair ▁their ▁ignor ance . ▁ ▁Additionally , ▁rational ▁ignor ance ▁is