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How Trump triumphed: Multi-candidate primaries with buffoons

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  • Castanheira, Micael
  • Huck, Steffen
  • Leutgeb, Johannes Josef
  • Schotter, Andrew

Abstract

While people on all sides of the political spectrum were amazed that Donald Trump won the Republican nomination this paper demonstrates that Trump’s victory was not a crazy event but rather the equilibrium outcome of a multi-candidate race where one candidate, the buffoon, is viewed as likely to self-destruct and hence unworthy of attack. We model such primaries as a truel (a three-way duel), solve for its equilibrium, and test its implications in the lab. We find that people recognize a buffoon when they see one and aim their attacks elsewhere with the unfortunate consequence that the buffoon has an enhanced probability of winning. This result is strongest amongst those subjects who demonstrate an ability to best respond suggesting that our results would only be stronger when this game is played by experts and for higher stakes.
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Suggested Citation

  • Castanheira, Micael & Huck, Steffen & Leutgeb, Johannes Josef & Schotter, Andrew, 2020. "How Trump triumphed: Multi-candidate primaries with buffoons," Discussion Papers, Research Unit: Economics of Change SP II 2020-307, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:wzbeoc:spii2020307
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    1. Enriqueta Aragonès & Dimitrios Xefteris, 2022. "Ideological Consistency and Valence," Working Papers 1383, Barcelona School of Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    truel; political primaries; Trump;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C72 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Noncooperative Games
    • C92 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Group Behavior
    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • D74 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Conflict; Conflict Resolution; Alliances; Revolutions

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