Avoidance, ambiguity, alternation: Position blurring strategies in multidimensional party competition

In a multidimensional environment, parties may have compelling incentives to obscure their preferences on select issues. This study contributes growing literature position blurring by demonstrating how party leaders purposively create uncertainty about where stands the issue of European integration. By doing so, it theoretically and empirically disentangles cause blurring—parties’ strategic behavior—from its intended political outcome. The analysis survey manifesto data across 14 Western countries (1999–2019) confirms that three distinct strategies—avoidance, ambiguity, alternation—all increase expert party's position. finding is then unpacked examining for whom avoidance particularly effective. has important implications our understanding strategy, democratic representation, accountability.