Abstract
Anthony Downs' highly influential spatial model of electoral choice assumes that voters' ideological/policy preferences are fixed. This paper uses a national internet experiment conducted in the 2005 British Election Study to turn this assumption into a testable hypothesis. Pace Downs, results indicate that voters' preferences are not exogenous, but rather can be influenced by information about the ideological/policy positions of political parties, such as that provided in election campaigns. Voters are attracted by party cues, rather than repelled by them. Information about the positions of party leaders per se is inconsequential. These findings have important implications for the specification of spatial models and the design of national election studies.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
