A Comparison of Publics and MPs Views on Politicians Being Authentic

• In Event: How Public Opinion Does (and Does Not) Constrain Elites

Abstract

In an environment of political distrust and public cynicism, authenticity has become a trait that publics increasingly desire in their political representatives. For politicians, this brings tangible electoral benefits. However, the nascent literature on political authenticity rarely considers both publics’ and politicians’ views simultaneously. Thus, while publics largely value authenticity – even sometimes at the expense of other traits – it is unclear whether what they wish to see is matched by politicians’ own values. For being true to themselves may involve trade-offs, such as not being responsive to their voters’ issue prioritisations or going against their political party.
Here, we draw on rare public opinion and MP surveys fielded in late 2023 in Britain and Germany. 100 British MPs and 79 German MPs answered the extent to which they will act according to their strongly held views when these come into conflict with those of 1) their voters, 2) their party or 3) the consensus of independent experts. These tap into consistency in the face of pressure - a core characteristic an authentic individual. Publics in these countries were instead asked for each of these situations the extent to which MPs should act according to their own views. These innovative question framings and simultaneous fielding in public and elite surveys enable us to measure whether MPs self-reported prioritisation of being authentic matches the wider publics’ expectations, and whether any expectations gaps differ according to individual characteristics.

Authors

• John Kenny, University of East Anglia

• Lucas Geese, University of East Anglia