Election campaigns are often seen as a way candidates signal their future work in office. However, new research finds that who wins depends more on campaign intensity than how hard they will legislate afterward.

Data & Methods

This study uses evidence from the European Parliament and two national-level elections, employing regression analysis to examine pre-election campaigning against post-election policy-seeking behavior.

Key Findings

• Candidates who campaigned more vigorously were significantly more likely to win the election.

• Campaign intensity was unrelated to legislative effort or policy activity once elected.

Why It Matters

These results challenge the assumption that campaign behavior accurately predicts a representative's post-election commitment and performance, suggesting voters may be misled about future officeholders' workloads.