This study investigates the relationship between perceived trend in family finances and voting for candidates of the incumbent presidential party. Analysis of CPS/SRC survey data for the 1956-1974 period provides considerable support for the research hypothesis of maximizing economic rationality at the polls. A normal vote analysis supports the authenticity of these findings and reveals relatively strong effects in subpresidential electoral contests. Comparisons are drawn between the aggregate effect of these perceptions on the outcome of congressional elections and that of changes in per capita personal income, the main explanatory variable in leading studies based on aggregate data. The author wishes to acknowledge his gratitude to Stephen V. Stephens for his critical reading of an earlier draft, and to Richard W. Gunde for his assistance in editing the manuscript. This study was made possible by funds received from NIMH (grant #5T22MH00070) while working at the Gerontology Research Institute, Andrus Gerontology Center, University of Southern California. Public Opinion Quarterly ? 1978 by The Trustees of Columbia University Published by Elsevier North-Holland, Inc. 0033-362X/78/0042-003 1/$01 .75 This content downloaded from 157.55.39.55 on Tue, 23 Aug 2016 04:38:12 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms