Journal article
Candidate authenticity and the Iowa Caucus
Electoral studies, Vol.73, 102390
10/2021
DOI: 10.1016/j.electstud.2021.102390
Abstract
Candidate ‘authenticity’ has become a frequent explanation of electoral performance. Yet its study in electoral research has been largely neglected. Building on recent work, we test its relationship with candidate support in the 2020 Iowa Democratic Caucus through a survey of likely Caucus goers. The Caucus offers an ideal setting — a contest focused on candidates and their personalities, in a context having far-reaching political implications. We demonstrate that authenticity perceptions played an important role in individual vote intentions. Indeed, for Biden and Buttigieg perceptions of their authenticity were strongly associated with vote intention even when controlling for other established traits. Warren, unlike the others, benefited indirectly, because her authenticity triggered substantial support among female voters. The performance of the authenticity trait, direct and indirect, points to its pivotal potential in the 2020 presidential campaign.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Candidate authenticity and the Iowa Caucus
- Creators
- John Kenny - Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UKJac Larner - Wales Governance Centre, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UKMichael S Lewis-Beck - Department of Political Science, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Electoral studies, Vol.73, 102390
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.electstud.2021.102390
- ISSN
- 0261-3794
- eISSN
- 1873-6890
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 10/2021
- Academic Unit
- Political Science
- Record Identifier
- 9984161432302771
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