Setting realistic expectations: When do citizens appreciate willingness to compromise on specific policies?

Abstract

Recent research draws mixed conclusions about voters’ appreciation for compromise in politics. On one hand, compromise is touted as a democratic virtue and on the other hand, voters seem to punish politicians that are seen as too willing to compromise. Do voters understand and appreciate that parties will have to make concessions on some issues in order to influence others? Or do voters prefer representatives who vouch to stay ideologically pure across the board? In a conjoint experiment, embedded in a survey of Austrian voters conducted in June 2022, I test various hypotheses about the interactive effects of policy positions, issue importance, and compromise behavior in a pre-electoral setting. I find that voters generally prefer willingness to compromise over steadfast principles, but this is particularly true if it moves policy outcomes closer towards themselves or if it is on issues they care less about.