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Black and white photo of Annika Fredén. Photo.

Annika Fredén

Associate Senior Lecturer

Black and white photo of Annika Fredén. Photo.

The Electoral Choices of Voters with Coalition-Straddling Consideration Sets

Author

  • Jacob Sohlberg
  • Annika Fredén

Summary, in English

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.

Publishing year

2020-07-01

Language

English

Pages

1303-1313

Publication/Series

Social Science Quarterly

Volume

101

Issue

4

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Wiley-Blackwell

Topic

  • Political Science

Keywords

  • consideration set, coalitions

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0038-4941