“What is the Most Important Issue Facing Your Country?” The Impact of Candidates’ Career Experiences on Priority Congruence with Voters.

Are politicians actually congruent with voters? The majority of theoretical and empirical literature focuses on the ideological congruence between parties and voters, but few studies have examined whether voters’ issue priorities align with those of politicians. I investigate this relationship using data from the Comparative Candidate Survey and the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems. By focusing on the impact of candidates’ career experiences, I found that candidates with strong local party roots and those who have only worked in the political arena, are positioned closer to voters’ needs compared to candidates working in professional careers. While electoral incentives to cultivate a personal vote appear less influential, party dynamics play a significant role on congruence. The findings shed light to the debate on whether "careerist" politicians or those with diverse backgrounds better represent voter priorities and have important implications for understanding political representation.