Replication Data for: Between Liberal and Illiberal Visions of Society: Elite–Voter Ideological Congruence in Finland

This study addresses a research gap in the scholarship on elite–voter linkages by focusing on ideological issue congruence between party elites and voters on a liberal–illiberal scale. Prior research has predominantly focused on congruence with respect to issue-specific positioning, whereas comparatively limited scholarly attention has been devoted to the alignment of party elites and voters within the broader ideological contest between liberal and illiberal societal visions. We therefore asked two questions: (1) how congruent are party elites and voters in their issue positions when placed on a liberal–illiberal scale, and (2) which factors explain support for illiberal issue positions among party elites and voters? To answer these questions, we use parallel elite and voter surveys from the 2023 Finnish parliamentary elections. The results demonstrate that party elites occupy more extreme positions than their supporters, with liberal elites being more liberal and illiberal elites more illiberal. Political experience is linked to stronger liberal orientations, highlighting the socializing effect of democratic participation, while democratic dissatisfaction consistently predicts stronger support for illiberal issue positions. By introducing an empirical measure of support for illiberal issue positions and analytically distinguishing between liberal and illiberal party elites, the study contributes to the theory-building of elite–voter congruence in contemporary liberal democracies.

本研究聚焦于政党精英与选民在自由-非自由（liberal–illiberal）维度上的意识形态议题契合度，填补了精英-选民关联研究领域的一处学术空白。既往研究多聚焦于特定议题立场的契合度，而针对自由与非自由社会愿景间更宏观的意识形态博弈中政党精英与选民的契合情况，学界关注度相对有限。为此本研究提出两个核心问题：其一，若以自由-非自由维度衡量，政党精英与选民的议题立场契合度如何？其二，哪些因素能够解释政党精英与选民对非自由议题立场的支持倾向？为解答上述问题，本研究采用2023年芬兰议会选举的平行精英与选民调查数据。研究结果显示，政党精英的立场较其支持者更为极端：自由派精英立场更趋自由，非自由派精英立场则更趋非自由。政治经验与更强烈的自由派倾向存在关联，这凸显了民主参与的社会化效应；而民主不满则始终预示着对非自由议题立场的更高支持度。本研究通过引入非自由议题立场支持度的实证测量方法，并从分析层面区分自由派与非自由派政党精英，为当代自由民主制下精英-选民契合度的理论建构作出了贡献。