In coalition governments, parties often differentiate their legislative proposals despite shared power.
Researchers collected scrutiny data on over 2,200 bills from the UK, Germany & Israel to test this hypothesis. Voter perception of party similarity motivated more vigorous bill amending by partners.
Data Gathering🔍
Original parliamentary scrutiny logs📊
Manifesto-derived policy preferences📝
Country-specific datasets (UK/GER/ISR)
Key Finding💡
Parties amend bills when perceived similar, to protect their distinct brand image.
Contrast🎯
"Pure" vote-seeking behavior drives differentiation strategies, even in compromise scenarios.
Future Research🌱
New insights into cabinet parties' policy motivations & role of committee chairs.
