10.7910/DVN/QRAUDJLucas, JackJackLucas0000-0002-3498-7267University of CalgarySheffer, LiorLiorShefferTel Aviv UniversityLoewen, PeterPeterLoewenCornell UniversityWalgrave, StefaanStefaanWalgraveUniversity of AntwerpSoontjens, KarolinKarolinSoontjensUniversity of AntwerpAmsalem, EranEranAmsalemHebrew University of JerusalemBailer, StefanieStefanieBailerUniversity of BaselBrack, NathalieNathalieBrackUniversité Libre de BruxellesBreunig, ChristianChristianBreunigUniversity of KonstanzBundi, PirminPirminBundiUniversity of LausanneCoufalová, LindaLindaCoufalováCharles UniversityDumont, PatrickPatrickDumontAustralian National UniversityLachance, SarahSarahLachanceUniversity of TorontoPereira, MiguelMiguelPereiraLondon School of Economics and Political SciencePersson, MikaelMikaelPerssonUniversity of GothenburgPilet, Jean-BenoitJean-BenoitPiletUniversité Libre de BruxellesRasmussen, AnneAnneRasmussenKing’s College LondonSterba, Maj-BrittMaj-BrittSterbaUniversity of KonstanzVarone, FrédéricFrédéricVaroneUniversity of GenevaHarvard Dataverse2024Social SciencesLucas, JackJackLucasUniversity of Calgary2024-07-242024-11-0410.1017/S000305542400106083523913228640632767725539419524911933712154914119829733842546581036855146382511062446application/pdfapplication/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheetapplication/gzipapplication/gzipapplication/gzipapplication/gzipapplication/gzipapplication/gzipapplication/gzipapplication/gzipapplication/pdfapplication/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheetapplication/pdftype/x-r-syntaxapplication/pdf1.1CC0 1.0While 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.