The (Un)Importance of Party Leaders: Leader Images and Party Choice in the 1987 British Election

@article{Stewart1992TheO,
  title={The (Un)Importance of Party Leaders: Leader Images and Party Choice in the 1987 British Election},
  author={Marianne C. Stewart and Harold Clarke},
  journal={The Journal of Politics},
  year={1992},
  volume={54},
  pages={447 - 470}
}
Most research has deemphasized the influence of leader images on British voting. This paper uses the 1987 British Campaign Study data to investigate the structure of leader images and the determinants of electoral choice. Confirmatory factor analyses reveal two image dimensions--competence and responsiveness. These dimensions were associated more closely for the opposition leaders than for the prime minister. Multivariate analyses show that leader images had strong effects on party choice… 
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