The politics of competence: Longitudinal and comparative analysis

Researchers have previously analysed voters' ratings of parties on policy competence using data from single election studies in recent election years. Data have not been available over time, or cross-nationally.
This project will gather over time data from opinion pollsters in four countries; the UK, the US, Canada and Australia, about voters' ratings of parties on policy competence and handling. Using an established method of estimation and aggregation, these data will provide continuous time measures of policy competence spanning periods up to six decades. Analysing these data will enable scholars to understand how parties gain and lose reputations for policy competence, how policy competence ratings may decline during a period of government, how the concept varies across countries, and how policy competence ratings change with other performance indicators, for example, leader ratings, events and economic outcomes.
The award holders will make the competence indices available, alongside all other publicly available and relevant aggregate level variables. They will provide technical background information about the data and measures, conduct impact and dissemination activities, and will produce preliminary findings using the data to begin to answer these research questions, and to begin initial work for a book proposal.