This step is the foundation to the decision-making process, it is the skeleton. Within this step, the prospective voter must decide on the specifics they find important; these include the qualities and positions that define a candidate. The voter will write these down. An example of some qualities that are sought after in a leader are experience and temperance, while examples of important issues include national security and foreign policy. Not every person will agree on what is important. The skeleton of what an ideal candidate looks like varies from person to person. People may agree that leadership is an important quality to have, but not on how to define it. One person may prefer a leader who is aggressive while another may not. View these differences and incongruities as options; there are no right or wrong qualities. Although subjective, these should be constructive toward …show more content…
Remember, the chart is a resource to eliminate this uncertainty and a help to make a final decision. The average voter normally thinks to him or herself how can I possibly make a decision with all of this information being thrown at me at once? They cannot if it is all in their head. The chart acts as the brain, helping to guide the voter. Writing down this information allows the voter a clearer view of what they have acquired. The voter, with their extensive research, needs to go down their chart and fill in all the material they have stored about the candidates. This chart can either be done over time or when the voter is ready to make a final decision. The voter should completely fill out their candidate chart. After reading through it, the voter will find him or herself leaning toward a candidate who matches their ideal platform the most. If the voter does not prefer this choice, then they have subconsciously made an alternate decision. This shows how the end result does not need to be prescriptive, as it is just a guideline which shows the candidates as a