Affiliation:
1. Département de Science Politique et Relations Internationales University of Geneva Geneva Switzerland
2. Independent Researcher Berne Switzerland
3. University of Antwerpen Antwerpen Belgium
4. The School of Political Science, Government and International Affairs University of Tel Aviv Tel Aviv Israel
Abstract
AbstractPolitical representation can be described as a process brought about via an electoral and a perceptual path. Drawing on original survey data on the perceptual accuracy of elected representatives in Belgium, Canada and Switzerland, this study explores whether and how the two paths are connected. It shows, first, that representatives who more accurately perceive voters' opinion are more likely to be re‐elected, suggesting that perceptual accuracy impacts the electoral path to representation. Second, representatives who are electorally safe hold less accurate perceptions of voters' policy preferences, meaning that the electoral path impacts the perceptual path. In all, the study provides evidence for the role of politicians' perceptual accuracy in their electoral career: voters sanction those representatives who are not sufficiently acquainted with their preferences, and representatives who fear to be voted out of office put more effort in getting acquainted with what voters want.