CENTRIST'S CURSE? AN ELECTORAL COMPETITION MODEL WITH CREDIBILITY CONSTRAINTS

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Ergun S. J.

SINGAPORE ECONOMIC REVIEW, vol.60, no.5, 2015 (SSCI) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 60 Issue: 5
  • Publication Date: 2015
  • Doi Number: 10.1142/s0217590815500551
  • Journal Name: SINGAPORE ECONOMIC REVIEW
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus
  • Middle East Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

I analyze a model of electoral competition in which candidates' need of credibility restricts their policy choice to a subset of the policy space, their ideology set. I focus on three party competition where candidates care about winning and their share of votes. I show that centrist parties are highly disadvantaged compared to leftist and rightist ones losing the election under a wide range of parameters. I also show that centrist parties' winning opportunities increase under a run-off system.