| This project examines how European voters weigh two different attributes of political parties, namely parties' ideological positions on the one hand, and their valence attributes with respect to the parties' ability to govern effectively, on the other. I present theoretical arguments that voters' tendencies to prioritize ideological as opposed to valence-related considerations depend on their individual-level attributes: specifically, I argue that politically-sophisticated citizens will prioritize ideological considerations compared to less sophisticated citizens, but that both types of voters will attach equal importance to valence. Using survey data from Germany, the Netherlands, and Great Britain, I empirically evaluate these two hypotheses and find consistent support across these three countries. As the above discussion indicates, I seek to provide a cross-national account of how European voters balance their desires to select parties that reflect their ideological viewpoints versus their desire to select parties whose elites demonstrate high levels of competence, integrity, and unity. I believe that by emphasizing how these trade offs depend on individuals' characteristics, this project enhances our understanding of voter behavior in Western Europe. Moreover, my findings have important implications for political representation, for parties' vote-seeking strategies, and for understanding election outcomes. |
