10.7910/DVN/QRAUDJ Lucas, Jack Jack Lucas https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3498-7267 University of Calgary Sheffer, Lior Lior Sheffer Tel Aviv University Loewen, Peter Peter Loewen Cornell University Walgrave, Stefaan Stefaan Walgrave University of Antwerp Soontjens, Karolin Karolin Soontjens University of Antwerp Amsalem, Eran Eran Amsalem Hebrew University of Jerusalem Bailer, Stefanie Stefanie Bailer University of Basel Brack, Nathalie Nathalie Brack Université Libre de Bruxelles Breunig, Christian Christian Breunig University of Konstanz Bundi, Pirmin Pirmin Bundi University of Lausanne Coufalová, Linda Linda Coufalová Charles University Dumont, Patrick Patrick Dumont Australian National University Lachance, Sarah Sarah Lachance University of Toronto Pereira, Miguel Miguel Pereira London School of Economics and Political Science Persson, Mikael Mikael Persson University of Gothenburg Pilet, Jean-Benoit Jean-Benoit Pilet Université Libre de Bruxelles Rasmussen, Anne Anne Rasmussen King’s College London Sterba, Maj-Britt Maj-Britt Sterba University of Konstanz Varone, Frédéric Frédéric Varone University of Geneva Harvard Dataverse 2024 Social Sciences Lucas, Jack Jack Lucas University of Calgary 2024-07-24 2024-08-27 2024-11-04 10.1017/S0003055424001060 55146 83523 119337 11982 12154914 9132 10368 195249 1062446 4254658 255394 327677 286406 97338 38251 application/pdf application/pdf application/gzip application/gzip application/gzip application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet application/gzip application/pdf application/pdf application/gzip application/gzip application/gzip application/gzip type/x-r-syntax 1.1 Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. While political scientists regularly engage in spirited theoretical debates about elections and voting behavior, few have noticed that elected politicians \textit{also} have theories of elections and voting. Here, we investigate politicians' positions on eight central theoretical debates in the area of elections and voting behavior and compare politicians' theories to those held by ordinary citizens. Using data from face-to-face interviews with nearly 1,000 politicians in eleven countries, together with corresponding surveys of more than 12,000 citizens, we show that politicians overwhelmingly hold thin, minimalist, ``democratic realist'' theories of voting, while citizens' theories are more optimistic and policy-oriented. Politicians' theoretical tendencies -- along with their theoretical misalignment from citizens -- are remarkably consistent across countries. These theories are likely to have important consequences for how politicians campaign, communicate with the public, think about public policy, and represent their constituents.