ABSTRACT
Electoral competition is the engine of representative democracy. This chapter considers the models of electoral competition where candidates differentiate themselves for the policies they stand for. It focuses on two models which will act as our workhorses: the Downsian model and the citizen-candidate model. In the Downsian model of electoral competition, the number and identity of the candidates running in an election for public office is taken as given. In the citizen-candidate model of electoral competition, the number and identity of the candidates running in an election for public office are equilibrium outcomes. The chapter explores the difference between sincere and strategic voting in citizen-candidate models of electoral competition. Both the Downsian and the citizen-candidate models take into account the costs of running for office among would-be candidates. In real elections, these costs can take many forms.
