2️⃣ When primed some stereotypical traits emerge: rural communities are associated with nature and a relaxed lifestyle, while urban ones are linked to stress and individualism

Our findings show:

1️⃣ Rural–urban identities surface only marginally when not prompted directly. Identities based on age, ideology, and education are more salient in spontaneous responses.

📢 Publication alert:
Our paper "Unpacking the rural–urban divide: Identities and stereotypes" - with @tonirodon.bsky.social, @griambau.bsky.social, ‬ and Andreu Rodilla - is now out in @electoralstudies.bsky.social.

We also dig deeper into the mechanisms at play. Punishment for malfeasance stems from the loss of trust caused by unlawful decisions, which outweighs any perception of increased efficiency.

Our results show that voters prefer politicians who follow the law. However, they are more likely to overlook legal violations that benefit the community—as long as there’s no private gain for the politician (i.e., no corruption involved).