In coalition governments, parties often differentiate their legislative proposals despite shared power.

Researchers collected scrutiny data on over 2,200 bills from the UK, Germany & Israel to test this hypothesis. Voter perception of party similarity motivated more vigorous bill amending by partners.

Data Gathering🔍

Original parliamentary scrutiny logs📊

Manifesto-derived policy preferences📝

Country-specific datasets (UK/GER/ISR)

Key Finding💡

Parties amend bills when perceived similar, to protect their distinct brand image.

Contrast🎯

"Pure" vote-seeking behavior drives differentiation strategies, even in compromise scenarios.

Future Research🌱

New insights into cabinet parties' policy motivations & role of committee chairs.