An authenticity expectations gap? A comparison of publics' and Members of Parliament's views on politicians being true to themselves

Authentic representatives may offer voters an antidote to the perceived failings of the stereotypical out-of-touch “fake” politician. While gaining more scholarly attention, the nascent literature rarely considers both publics’ and politicians’ views simultaneously. Here, we draw on rare public opinion and Member of Parliament (MPs) surveys fielded in 2023 in Britain and Germany. One hundred UK MPs and seventy-nine German MPs answered the extent to which they will act according to their strongly held views when these come into conflict with those of (1) their voters, (2) their party, or (3) the consensus of independent experts. Publics in these countries were asked for each of these situations the extent to which MPs should act according to their own views. We thus measure preferences for a central feature of an authentic politician in being consistent in representing their core beliefs in their behaviors. We find that German MPs are much more willing compared to UK MPs to state they would follow their own views when faced with a conflict with their voters, and at higher levels in comparison to situations when they are faced with a conflict with their party. Yet publics in both countries have a greater wish on average for an MP to be true to themselves when their views conflict with their party line than when they conflict with their voters. From this emerges expectation gaps between what MPs prioritize, and the principles that publics would like to see them emphasize.