Keeping it in the Family? Party Cohesion, Disagreement and Voter Perception

• In Event: Intra-Party Politics and Decision-Making

Abstract

At times, parties’ internal disagreements become public affairs. Competing factions, leaders and MPs may even highlight internal differences to influence internal debates or to appeal to distinct constituencies. Yet, parties also face incentives to manage their disagreements to present a united face as voters think poorly of parties appearing divided. Scholars have yet to demonstrate the conditions under which real divisions within the party spill over to voter perceptions of the party’s cohesion. Major changes to their public face such as a new leader or shifts in the party’s policies likely highlight underlying divisions, whereas greater stability indicates a more cohesive party. I examine hypotheses from this perspective from a case of historically cohesive parties in the United Kingdom. I develop indicators of internal disagreement over policy preferences issue priorities derived from their largest decision-making body, the party conference, to predict voters’ perceptions of party unity. The results highlight the importance of intra-party politics and the role of party leaders in maintaining an internal coalition while helping to explain conflicting evidence on whether voters perceive parties’ policy change.

Author

• Zachary David Greene, University of Strathclyde