Proximity and directional voting: Testing for the region of acceptability

Abstract

Although countless articles examined proximity and directional voting, little attention has been paid to a central concept of directional theory – the region of acceptability (ROA) – and very few empirical tests of the concept have been conducted. We remedy this gap and focus in this study on the ROA and the individual nature of the penalty imposed. Relying on original data collected in a survey in Switzerland (N = 2000) and an experimental design manipulating the positions of the fictional candidates, we find clear evidence for the existence of the ROA. Our findings also support the idea that the ROA is an individual-level concept, as variables like political extremism and interest in politics have an influence on the effect of the ROA.