The Politics of Compromise Flashcards
strategies by political parties
office seeking
policy seeking
office seeking
political parties aiming to secure positions in government, such as ministerial roles or leadership posts.
–> voters might favour this because their party would have direct influence on governmental decisions
positions government
policy seeking
a focus on enacting specific policy agendas.
–> voters may prioritize a party’s ability to achieve policy objectives, even if it means compromising on office-holding.
enacting policy agenda
pragmatic shift in voter preferences
when the policy content of coalition agreements is similar across potential partners, voters become more interested in their party securing offices
–> voters are flexible and may prioritize offices if the policy trade-offs in a coalition are minimal
compromising mindset
citizens in Western European democracies understand and generally support the need for political parties to compromise as part of coalition-building
why is coalition-building necessary?
because no single party usually gains an absolute majority
study: what do citizens prefer qua compromise
citizens (average) prefer political parties that show a willingness to compromise
extreme voters and compromise
more extreme voters (both left and right) are somewhat less supportive of compromise
–> even within these groups, significant proportion of citizens appreciate the need for political parties to compromise
electoral impact of compromise
= complex!
parties can be both rewarded and punished for their willingness to compromise (depends on context).
punish –> punish parties for compromising too much, viewing it as a betrayal of principles
punish –> may also penalize parties that refuse to compromise and thus fail to contribute to effective governance
coalition politics & stability
coalition politics can be stable as long as parties maintain a balance between compromising and staying true to their principles.
parties may need to strategically manage their compromises to avoid electoral punishment.
compromising mindset prevalence
compromising mindset is prevalent in countries with a history of coalition politics but may not apply to countries like the UK or Spain, where coalition politics is less common
faith & compromises & commitment
despite conceptual support for compromise, voters tend to lose faith in parties that make policy concessions, preferring parties that remain firm on their ideological commitments
reputational damage
political parties suffer reputational damage when they compromise, as citizens view them as less trustworthy and less credible.
voters tend to prefer parties that remain firm on their positions.
principled voters
voters with strong principled stances
who are likely to penalize compromising parties & why
citizens with strong principled stances (principled voters), and those with low levels of social trust
these voters place a higher value on ideological purity and steadfastness than on coalition-building and governmental responsibility.
tension in representative democracy on compromising
compromise is necessary for governance, but voters may penalize parties for engaging in it
creates a paradox where compromise, essential to democratic functioning, might erode trust and legitimacy
priorities voters
voters prioritize parties that adhere to their ideological commitments over those that make compromises to form governing coalitions
–> preference holds even when compromises lead to successful coalition-building, showing that citizens value policy purity over the pragmatic responsibilities of governance
distrust in politics due to compromise?
distrust could be a systemic feature of representative democracies, where coalition governments are common.
as political parties need to compromise to govern, but voters prefer ideological purity, this dynamic could erode trust in mainstream politics and potentially fuel populism which further complicates governance
