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The Electoral Choices of Voters with Coalition-Straddling Consideration Sets

Sohlberg, Jacob and Fredén, Annika LU orcid (2020) In Social Science Quarterly 101(4). p.1303-1313
Abstract

Objectives: Preelectoral party coalitions are common in multiparty systems. We examine the proposition that individuals who choose between parties from competing coalitions think and behave differently compared to those who only consider voting for parties of the same coalition. Part of the reason, we suggest, is that coalition-straddling voters play a key role in deciding who forms government. Methods: We rely on data from a multiwave panel with thousands of participants collected during two election campaigns in Sweden. Statistical regression techniques are used to analyze the data. Results: We find that citizens who straddle opposing coalitions think that the vote decision is harder and rely more on voting advice applications.... (More)

Objectives: Preelectoral party coalitions are common in multiparty systems. We examine the proposition that individuals who choose between parties from competing coalitions think and behave differently compared to those who only consider voting for parties of the same coalition. Part of the reason, we suggest, is that coalition-straddling voters play a key role in deciding who forms government. Methods: We rely on data from a multiwave panel with thousands of participants collected during two election campaigns in Sweden. Statistical regression techniques are used to analyze the data. Results: We find that citizens who straddle opposing coalitions think that the vote decision is harder and rely more on voting advice applications. Moreover, the evidence suggests that their ultimate vote choice is more consequential in how they view parties. Conclusion: Coalition-straddling influences political behavior. The evidence is largely in line with the notion that coalition-straddling individuals are aware of their importance.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
consideration set, coalitions
in
Social Science Quarterly
volume
101
issue
4
pages
11 pages
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85086176932
ISSN
0038-4941
DOI
10.1111/ssqu.12813
language
English
LU publication?
no
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © The Authors. Social Science Quarterly published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Southwestern Social Science Association
id
abbc1106-0ec0-4fb9-96ab-f9e02a6d1c88
date added to LUP
2024-03-18 11:49:15
date last changed
2025-04-04 14:48:43
@article{abbc1106-0ec0-4fb9-96ab-f9e02a6d1c88,
  abstract     = {{<p>Objectives: Preelectoral party coalitions are common in multiparty systems. We examine the proposition that individuals who choose between parties from competing coalitions think and behave differently compared to those who only consider voting for parties of the same coalition. Part of the reason, we suggest, is that coalition-straddling voters play a key role in deciding who forms government. Methods: We rely on data from a multiwave panel with thousands of participants collected during two election campaigns in Sweden. Statistical regression techniques are used to analyze the data. Results: We find that citizens who straddle opposing coalitions think that the vote decision is harder and rely more on voting advice applications. Moreover, the evidence suggests that their ultimate vote choice is more consequential in how they view parties. Conclusion: Coalition-straddling influences political behavior. The evidence is largely in line with the notion that coalition-straddling individuals are aware of their importance.</p>}},
  author       = {{Sohlberg, Jacob and Fredén, Annika}},
  issn         = {{0038-4941}},
  keywords     = {{consideration set, coalitions}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{07}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{1303--1313}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Social Science Quarterly}},
  title        = {{The Electoral Choices of Voters with Coalition-Straddling Consideration Sets}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.12813}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/ssqu.12813}},
  volume       = {{101}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}