9. Electoral competition

In a model that differs from the one in the previous chapter only in that each candidate cares not whether she wins or loses, but rather cares about the position of the winner of the election, in a Nash equilibrium both candidates choose the strict Condorcet winning position, if one exists. If the candidates are uncertain about the location of the median of the citizens' favorite positions, however, their Nash equilibrium positions differ, if an equilibrium exists. In a model of repeated elections, outcomes different from the median of the citizens' favorite positions are possible if incumbents are constrained by their previous positions.