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Keep Your Enemies Closer: Strategic Platform Adjustments during US and French Elections

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  • Rafael Di Tella
  • Randy Kotti
  • Caroline Le Pennec
  • Vincent Pons

Abstract

We study changes in political discourse during campaigns, using a novel dataset of candidate websites for US House elections, 2002–2016, and manifestos for French parliamentary and local elections, 1958–2022. We find that candidates move to the center in ideology and rhetorical complexity between the first round (or primary) and the second round (or general election). This convergence reflects candidates' strategic adjustment to their opponents, as predicted by Downsian competition: Using an RDD we show that candidates converge to the platform of opponents who narrowly qualified for the last round as opposed to those who narrowly failed to qualify.

Suggested Citation

  • Rafael Di Tella & Randy Kotti & Caroline Le Pennec & Vincent Pons, 2025. "Keep Your Enemies Closer: Strategic Platform Adjustments during US and French Elections," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 115(8), pages 2488-2528, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aecrev:v:115:y:2025:i:8:p:2488-2528
    DOI: 10.1257/aer.20231045
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making

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