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A Categorization Theory of Spatial Voting: How the Center Divides the Political Space

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  • Bølstad, Jørgen
  • Dinas, Elias

Abstract

This article presents a categorization theory of spatial voting, which postulates that voters perceive political stances through coarse classifications. Because voters think in terms of categories defined by the ideological center, their behavior deviates from standard models of utility maximization along ideological continua. Their preferences are characterized by discontinuities, rewarding parties on their side of the ideological space more than existing spatial models would predict. While this study concurs with prior studies suggesting that voters tend to use a proximity rule, it argues that this rule mainly serves to distinguish among parties of the same side. Overall, the results suggest that voters’ party evaluations are characterized by a nontrivial identity component, generating in-group biases not captured by the existing spatial models of voting.

Suggested Citation

  • Bølstad, Jørgen & Dinas, Elias, 2017. "A Categorization Theory of Spatial Voting: How the Center Divides the Political Space," British Journal of Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 47(4), pages 829-850, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:bjposi:v:47:y:2017:i:04:p:829-850_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Eiselt, H.A. & Marianov, Vladimir, 2020. "Maximizing political vote in multiple districts," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    2. Pablo Henr'iquez & Jorge Sabat & Jos'e Patr`icio Sullivan, 2021. "Politicians' Willingness to Agree: Evidence from the interactions in Twitter of Chilean Deputies," Papers 2106.09163, arXiv.org, revised Sep 2021.

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