Political representation in representative democracies hinges on the alignment between policymakers and the electorate. Congruence, defined as the harmony between the policy positions of voters and candidates, is a cornerstone of this alignment. Traditionally, congruence studies relied on opinion polls or expert panel assessments of politicians' or party positions. However, Andreadis and Stavrakakis (2017) introduced an innovative methodology involving surveys of elected parliamentarians or candidates, which has since gained significant traction in the field.
This paper aims to assess the level of congruence between politicians and voters, exploring its implications for voting behavior and electoral dynamics. Drawing on data from the 2023 Hellenic National Election Study (ELNES2023) and the 2023 Hellenic Candidate Study (CCS2023), it examines voter and candidate policy alignment in Greece. While Greece serves as the focal case study, the findings contribute to the broader comparative literature on congruence and advance collaborative research initiatives in this area.
