The Authentic A**hole
Candidate Consistency, Causality, and the Vote
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6356236 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sofia Breitenstein (0000-0002-5591-3320, KU Leuven), Jean Kenny (0000-0001-9401-3555, KU Leuven), John Kenny (0000-0001-6456-6781), John Larner (0000-0002-5171-8851, KU Leuven), Jac Larner, Dieter Stiers (0000-0001-7242-8477, KU Leuven), Michael S Lewis-Beck (0000-0003-0301-5497, KU Leuven) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 57 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 240-252 |
| Publication date | 2025-04-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Polity (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0032-3497 • E-ISSN: 1744-1684 |
| Publisher | University of Chicago Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1086/734478 |
| OpenAlex | W4407931847 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 17 |
Despite politicians’ authenticity being increasingly invoked in public discourse to explain their electoral fortunes, empirical research on the trait in electoral studies remains nascent. Here we advance our knowledge through a vignette survey experiment carried out on a national British sample. Firstly, we demonstrate that respondents are more likely to perceive a hypothetical politician as authentic when that politician resists political pressure in order to maintain a consistency between their stated policy positions and their political actions. This is the case whether respondents agree with their policy position or not. We also show that a candidate being perceived as authentic carries electoral benefits for them. Furthermore, consistency between a politician’s policy position and their actions enhances citizens’ perception of authenticity, consequently increasing the likelihood that they will vote for that politician. This study contributes to understanding authenticity in politics, offering valuable insights into the causal mechanisms of its electoral implications
Causality (physics · Consistency (knowledge bases · Physics · Political science · Quantum mechanics · Computer Science · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Game Theory and Voting Systems · Populism, Right-Wing Movements · Psychology · Social Psychology
Platform or Personality?
The Personalization of Politics
Political Authenticity
In or against the state? Hospitality and hostility in homelessness charities and deportation practice
Populism as an intra-party phenomenon
What Do Voters Want From Their Local MP
Not Simply in the Eye of the Beholder
Candidate Authenticity
When is Changing Policy Positions Costly for Politicians? Experimental Evidence
Candidate evaluations across the aisle
Legislator Dissent as a Valence Signal
Candidate authenticity and the Iowa Caucus
Ideology, Grandstanding, and Strategic Party Disloyalty in the British Parliament
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |