Final answer:
In Anthony Downs' economic theory of democracy, voters are referred to as consumers, who rationalize the cost of becoming politically informed against the marginal impact their individual vote may have on the outcome of an election.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Anthony Downs' theory, outlined in his 1957 work An Economic Theory of Democracy, voters are often seen as consumers of political information. Downs argues that for many citizens, the cost in time of becoming informed and the slim possibility their vote will have a significant impact lead to a rational choice not to invest heavily in political information. This behavior aligns with the idea of voters acting like consumers who assess the costs and benefits of becoming informed before casting their votes. Additionally, Downs suggests that voters tend not to utilize all available information due to the time it takes to assimilate this information, further supporting the consumer analogy in the political decision-making process.