This paper contributes to the workshop theme and assesses how and why macro opinion dynamics differ across systems by analyzing voters’ perceptions of parties’ positions. Existing research analyzes the factors that shape parties’ Left-Right policy images and their image shifts. We address the follow-up issue of whether and how parties’ policy images/image shifts matter. Hence, we are especially interested in tackling the question about the impact of macro-opinion on election outcomes proposed by the workshop directors. Specifically, we analyze the electoral consequences when: (1) a focal party’s mean perceived Left-Right position moderates (radicalizes) relative to the mean voter position; and (2) the mean Left-Right voter position shifts towards/away from a focal party’s perceived position. We also examine whether the answers to these questions are conditioned by parties’ and party systems’ characteristics. We combine data from the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems and other national election studies to test our questions. Our findings have implications for political representation, institutions, and parties’ election strategies.
