Transnational Branding: Party Family Success Abroad and Voter Perceptions

• In Event: Citizen and Party Linkages in the EU

Abstract

When domestic parties decide to associate themselves with similar parties in other countries, how do their domestic voters respond? In this paper, I argue that voters will adjust their perceptions of a party when exposed to a party actively attempting to associate themselves with a similar party in another country. Specifically, I argue that parties will be perceived to be more electorally viable, credibly to fulfill campaign pledges, and deemed the most competent on solving the important issues when they link themselves to an electorally successful party abroad. This is especially the case when the party has recently suffered an electoral defeat. Using a novel survey experiment in Sweden and Norway which exposes respondents to a campaign message where the party links itself to its counterpart in Germany, I find support for my expectations. These findings have important implications for understanding voter behavior in an increasingly transnational political environment and how party brands spread across borders.

Author

• Jeffrey Nonnemacher, University of Colorado Boulder