When Candidates Value Good Character: A Spatial Model with Applications to Congressional Elections

Abstract

We add to the literature that examines the relationship between candidate valence and policy strategies by arguing that candidates intrinsically value both the policies and the personal character of the winning candidate. In making this argument, we distinguish between two dimensions of candidate valence: strategic valence refers to factors such as name recognition, fundraising ability, and campaigning skills, while character valence is composed of qualities that voters and candidates intrinsically value in office holders, including integrity, competence, and diligence. Our model considers challengers who value both the policies and the character-based valence of the incumbent and assumes that the incumbent's policy position is fixed by prior commitments. Under these conditions, we show that challengers who are superior to the incumbent in their character-based valence have incentives to moderate their policy positions. We report empirical tests of this good-government result of our model, using data on the 2006 congressional elections.

Voting in a Multi-dimensional Space: A Conjoint Analysis Employing Valence and Ideology Attributes of Candidates

“…It has been applied only very recently to research questions in political science (Hainmueller and Hopkins 2012;Hainmueller, Hopkins, and Yamamoto 2014 Adams et al 2011;Enelow and Hinich 1982;Fiorina 1981;Groseclose 2001;Londregan and Romer 1993;Stone and Simas 2010). These factors are not particularly meaningful or useful in pairwise comparisons between generically labelled candidates.…”

“…Adams et al 2011;Clark 2009;Clark and Leiter 2014;Funk 1996;Funk 1999;Kulisheck and Mondak 1996;McCurley and Mondak 1995;Mondak and Huckfeldt 2006;Stone and Simas 2010). "Maintain the level of provision of social services and taxation" "Cut taxes, even at the cost of fewer social services"…”

The Conditional Ideological Inducement to Campaign on Character Valence Issues in Multiparty Systems

“…In contrast, the present article will concentrate on the latter type of valence issues, i.e., non-policy-related factors that can provide parties (or candidates) with an electoral advantage (or disadvantage) independent of their policy positions (for a discussion in this regard, see Clark, 2014). Specifically, we follow the terminology employed in Adams, Merrill, Simas, and Stone (2011; see also Stone & Simas, 2010) and investigate the importance of "character valence" attributes such as honesty and competence rather than "strategic valence" attributes such as fundraising skill, name recognition, and campaigning ability. The reason for this choice is that while strategic valence issues are directly instrumental for winning elections, it may seems at first sight that character valence issues are intrinsic qualities that cannot be intentionally adopted as competitive weapons.…”

Informing Electorates via Election Law: An Experimental Study of Partisan Endorsements and Nonpartisan Voter Guides in Local Elections

“…Stone and Simas (2010) andAdams et al (2011) also measure candidates' and voters' policy positions on a common scale. They use surveys of experts to place candidates on a liberalconservative scale and then ask voters to place themselves on this same scale.…”

“…For example, voters might reward incumbents who demonstrate integrity and competence(Adams et al 2011) or who skillfully manage the local state(Oliver 2012), even if it means supporting a candidate whose policy views are somewhat at odds with their own.…”