Political Leaders and Democratic Elections

Edited by Kees Aarts, André Blais, and Hermann Schmitt

Comparative Politics

Based on comparative survey data from nine major democracies: US, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, Sweden, The Netherlands, Spain, and Norway
First major book-length treatment of the impotance of leaders' personality on the outcome of democratic elections
Contains contributions from some of the world's leading experts on the topic

Political Leaders and Democratic Elections

Edited by Kees Aarts, André Blais, and Hermann Schmitt

Description

Outcomes of legislative elections are typically reported in terms of party support: how many votes and seats were obtained by each party? But in fact voters are faced with three choices which must be folded into one. They must decide which party they prefer, but in so doing they must take account of the policies advocated by these parties and the leaders who will eventually have to enact them.

This simple fact raises question about the relative weight of these considerations, and espeically the importance granted to the leaders. This issue has been largely neglected in the vast literature on voting behaviour.The dominant traditions in the study of voting behaviour focus on political parties and party identification; and on political issues and ideology, respectively.

This volume uses election surveys over the past 50 years to systematically assesses the impact of political leaders on voting decisions in nine democracies (Australia, Britain, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United States). It analyses issues such as the changes in political communication (particularly the rise of televized politics), and the relative importance accorded to political leaders in different types of political systems. It demonstrates how electoral systems and other political institutions have a discernible effect on the importance voters accord to actual political leaders. Contrary to popular wisdom, Political Leaders and Democratic Elections shows how unimportant the characteristics of political leaders, parties, and indeed the voters themselves actually are on voting patterns. The volume shows that voters tend to let themselves be guided by the leaders they like rather than being pushed away from those they dislike.

Comparative Politics is a series for students, teachers, and researchers of political science that deals with contemporary government and politics. Global in scope, books in the series are characterised by a stress on comparative analysis and strong methodological rigour. The series is published in association with the European Consortium for Political Research. For more information visit: www.ecprnet.eu. The Comparative Politics series is edited by Professor David M. Farrell, School of Politics and International Relations, University College Dublin, Kenneth Carty, Professor of Political Science, University of British Columbia, and Professor Dirk Berg-Schlosser, Institute of Political Science, Philipps University, Marburg.

Political Leaders and Democratic Elections

Edited by Kees Aarts, André Blais, and Hermann Schmitt

Comparative Politics

1:Introduction, André Blais
2:Changing Patterns of Political Communication, Dieter Ohr
3:Party Leader Effects on the Vote, Sören Holmberg and Henrik Oscarsson
4:Political Leaders in Westminster Systems -, Ian McAllister
5:US Party Leaders: Exploring the Meaning of Candidate-Centered Politics -, Martin Wattenberg
6:Elections as Beauty Contests, John Curtice
7:Leader Effects and Party Characteristics, Bernt Aardal and Tanja Binder
8:Leader Effects and Leader Characteristics, Richard Nadeau and Neil Nevitte
9:Voter Characteristics and Leader Effects, Elisabeth Gidengil
10:Pull or Push? Positive and Negative Leader Evaluations and Vote Choice, Kees Aarts and André Blais
11:Leader Traits, Leader Image and Vote Choice -, Dieter Ohr and Henrik Oscarsson

Political Leaders and Democratic Elections

Edited by Kees Aarts, André Blais, and Hermann Schmitt

Comparative Politics

Author Information

Edited by Kees Aarts, Professor of Political Science, University of Twente, André Blais, Professor, Canada Research Chair in Electoral Studies, University of Montreal, and Hermann Schmitt, Professor of Political Science, University of Mannheim

Kees Aarts is holds degrees from the University of Amsterdam (Ba, MA) and Twente (PhD). He is Professor of Political Science at the University of Twente and scientific director of its Institute for Innovation and Governance Studies.

André Blais holds the Canada Research Chair in Electoral Studies and is affiliated with the Department of Political Science, University of Montreal. He studied at the Université Laval (Ba) and at York University (MA, PhD)

Hermann Schmitt holds degrees from the University of Mannheim (Ba, Hab.), the University of Duisburg (PhD), and the Free University of Berlin (Hab.) He is Professor of Political Science at the University of Mannheim and Research Fellow at its Center for European Studies MZES.

Contributors:

André Blais, University of Montréal
Dieter Ohr, University of Cologne
Sören Holmberg, University of Gothenburg
Henrik Oscarsson, University of Gothenburg
Ian McAllister, Australian National University
Kees Aarts, Universtiy of Twente
Hermann Schmitt, University of Mannheim, and Free University, Berlin
Martin Wattenberg, University of California, Irvine
John Curtice, University of Strathclyde
Bernt Aardal, University of Oslo
Tanja Binder, Wissenschaftszentrum, Berlin
Richard Nadeau, University of Montréal
Neil Nevitte, University of Toronto
Elisabeth Gidengil, McGill University