Does a party's ideology affect its standing among voters? This study suggests that ideological moderation enhances perceived competence. We find that parties leaning left or right are viewed as less willing to compromise and more prone to simplistic solutions, reducing their appeal for competence.
Through conjoint experiments with British citizens (N=2000), we demonstrate that even slight ideological leanings harm a party's valence reputationâa key aspect of electoral successâregardless of voter alignment. This effect operates via three mechanisms: willingness to compromise, realism about achievable policy goals, and preference for nuanced solutions.
Our findings highlight how moderate positioning serves as an implicit signal of effectiveness in governance.
