THE PEACOCK'S TAIL: WHY IS AN EXTREMIST SO SEXY?*

Hideaki Murase

The Japanese Economic Review, 2004, vol. 55, issue 3, 321-330

Abstract: In democracies, ideological politicians often win elections. This phenomenon contradicts the Median Voter Theorem. I propose a model of election to explain this puzzle. Ideology can be a signal of ability, and if the benefits of ability outweigh the costs of ideology the electorate will prefer ideological politicians. Meanwhile, politicians disguise their ideology even if such disguise is costly. Under certain conditions, the most extreme politician is the most likely to be elected. Further, stiffer electoral competition can harm the electorate. These results contrast sharply with the standard belief that politicians’ desire to gain office leads to their ideological convergence.

Date: 2004
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