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Do Politicians Outside the United States Also Think Voters Are More Conservative than They Really Are?

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  • PILET, JEAN-BENOIT
  • SHEFFER, LIOR
  • HELFER, LUZIA
  • VARONE, FREDERIC
  • VLIEGENTHART, RENS
  • WALGRAVE, STEFAAN

Abstract

In an influential recent study, Broockman and Skovron (2018) found that American politicians consistently overestimate the conservativeness of their constituents on a host of issues. Whether this conservative bias in politicians’ perceptions of public opinion is a uniquely American phenomenon is an open question with broad implications for the quality and nature of democratic representation. We investigate it in four democracies: Belgium, Canada, Germany, and Switzerland. Despite these countries having political systems that differ greatly, we document a strong and persistent conservative bias held by a majority of the 866 representatives interviewed. Our findings highlight the conservative bias in elites’ perception of public opinion as a widespread regularity and point toward a pressing need for further research on its sources and impacts.

Suggested Citation

  • Pilet, Jean-Benoit & Sheffer, Lior & Helfer, Luzia & Varone, Frederic & Vliegenthart, Rens & Walgrave, Stefaan, 2024. "Do Politicians Outside the United States Also Think Voters Are More Conservative than They Really Are?," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 118(2), pages 1037-1045, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:apsrev:v:118:y:2024:i:2:p:1037-1045_30
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