Partisan Leadership Stereotypes: A Twelve-Country Study

This study examines partisan leadership stereotypes in multiparty systems, defined as the personality traits voters associate with politicians from different political parties. While previous research has explored which personality traits voters desire in politicians and which traits politicians self-report, far less is known about the traits voters actually ascribe to politicians. Moreover, the scarce research on this topic focuses on evaluations of individual, real-world politicians rather than broader party-level stereotypes. We extend this literature by investigating how voters perceive “politicians in general” from different parties. Drawing on a newly collected dataset of nationally representative samples across twelve countries, and employing the HEXACO Adjective Scale, we identify the personality traits voters associate with politicians from the largest radical left, mainstream left, mainstream right and radical-right party in their countries. Moreover, we will uncover differences between in-party and out-party perceptions, contrasts stereotypes of radical versus mainstream parties, and assess cross-national convergence or divergence in these evaluations. Insight in these stereotypes is particularly relevant in the current era of heightened affective polarization, increasing personalization of politics, and the rise of “dark” politicians.