They Find a Way: Relative Perceptions of Party Issue Positions and Voter-Party Congruence

While existing research has extensively examined why some citizens are more accurate than others in perceiving party positions, less attention has been given to how these perceptions influence voters’ ability to select like-minded parties. This article examines the role of voters’ relative perceptions of party issue positions in achieving voter–party congruence, defined as the alignment between a voter’s issue position and the position of the party they support. Drawing on public opinion and expert surveys from the United Kingdom and Germany, the findings show that accurate perceptions of party positions are associated with greater voter–party congruence. Additionally, greater ambiguity in party’s issue positions is associated with lower voter–party congruence. Nevertheless, high congruence can still be achieved without fully accurate perceptions. Thus, while accurate perceptions appear to be a sufficient condition, they are not necessary for voters to support like-minded parties.