How does political uncertainty affect the optimal degree of policy divergence?

R. Emre Aytimur (), Aris Boukouras and Richard M. H. Suen
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R. Emre Aytimur: University of Leicester, School of Economics
Aris Boukouras: University of Leicester, School of Economics
Richard M. H. Suen: University of Leicester, School of Economics

Social Choice and Welfare, 2025, vol. 65, issue 4, No 7, 959-982

Abstract: Abstract We examine how the optimal degree of policy divergence between two policy platforms in an election is affected by two types of aggregate uncertainty: policy-related and candidate-specific. We show that when the candidate-specific uncertainty is sufficiently large, policy convergence becomes optimal. We also show that when these two types of uncertainty co-exist, only purely office-motivated parties result in policy convergence, in other words, any level of policy motivation of parties results in some policy divergence, making policy motivation undesirable when candidate-specific uncertainty is sufficiently large.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s00355-025-01595-w

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