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The Endogeneity of Preferences in Spatial Models: Evidence from the 2005 British Election Study

Abstract Anthony Downs' highly influential spatial model of electoral choice assumes that voters' ideological/policy preferences are fixed. This paper uses a national internet experiment conducted in the 2005 British Election Study to turn this assumption into a testable hypothesis. Pace Downs, results indicate that voters' preferences are not exogenous, but rather can be influenced by information about the ideological/policy positions of political parties, such as that provided in election campaigns. Voters are attracted by party cues, rather than repelled by them. Information about the positions of party leaders per se is inconsequential. These findings have important implications for the specification of spatial models and the design of national election studies.