Publication
Title
Thinking alike : two pathways to leadership-candidate opinion congruence
Author
Abstract
This paper seeks to explain why party candidates and their party leadership have congruent policy positions or not. Despite its importance as a way through which parties are able to behave as a unitary actor, this congruence has never been studied as a dependent variable. We seek to fill this void in the literature. Our results suggest that leadership-candidate congruence comes about through two mechanisms: selection and learning. With selection, the party leadership aims to get those candidates elected whose policy preferences are congruent with the party line. Learning occurs through the process of socialization in which candidates assume the views of the party they work and candidate for as their own under. This happens under the pressure of cognitive dissonance. If a candidate learns about the position of the leadership and notices that they are incongruent, they may feel discomfort and change their opinion to be congruent with the party.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Journal of elections, public opinion and parties. - Place of publication unknown
Publication
Place of publication unknown : 2018
ISSN
1745-7289
1745-7297
DOI
10.1080/17457289.2018.1425693
Volume/pages
28 :4 (2018) , p. 488-515
ISI
000445584500005
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
VABB-SHW
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 22.02.2021
Last edited 23.06.2023
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