A Model of Punitive Voting

ABSTRACT

I analyze a two‐period model of political competition where voters care about candidates' integrity. Candidates must trade off implementing their preferred policy against maintaining their electoral promises. Voters punish candidates who deviate from electoral promises by voting for their opponent. I find that punitive voting can exert political discipline only if candidates face low levels of uncertainty about voters' preferences. In this case, candidates' electoral promises are a compromise between their preferred policy and voters' preferences, and when elected, they implement their promise. Finally, I show that when one candidate's ideal policy is closer to the median voter, an equilibrium exists where one candidate is disciplined and the other is not.