The objective of this study is to understand how Portuguese voters react when asked to choose which of seven attributes (gender, ideological orientation, political experience, problem-solving capacity, capacity to compromise, political integrity, and empathy) of a MP matter the most when voting. Implementing a conjoint experiment on an original and representative sample of the national population (n=1,101) enabled the investigation of the likelihood of voting for a hypothetical candidate who presented a random combination of the seven attributes measured. This analysis indicates that the most important attributes in determining the propensity to vote for a candidate are ideological orientation (24.2%), followed by political integrity (20.3%), and the capacity to compromise (16.6%). These findings pave the way for a more coordinated analysis that includes the role of integrity in public life as a means of curbing corruption.
