Ideological coherence of Salvadoran parties according to perceptions of candidates for deputies in the 2024 legislative elections

Abstract

This research article examines the levels of ideological coherence of political parties based on the perceptions of candidates for deputies who participated in El Salvador's Legislative Elections in 2024. A total of 62 polls were carried out among candidates for deputies of the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) with 12 cases, the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) with 10 cases, the Grand Alliance for National Unity (GANA) with 2 cases, Nuevas Ideas with 11 cases, Nuestro Tiempo with 11 cases, the Christian Democratic Party (PDC) with 4 cases and VAMOS with 12 cases. This paper analyses the results of the level of coherence of the candidate´s ideological self-location and their perception of their parties´ ideological location in the left-right continuum. The results show that younger parties, such as Nuevas Ideas, Nuestro Tiempo, and VAMOS, tend to be located in the center of the ideological spectrum with a high level of ideological coherence, while traditional parties such as ARENA and FMLN are at opposite extremes, the former with a high level of ideological coherence and the latter with a lower level of ideological coherence. In addition, it is observed that Nuevas Ideas shows a high level of ideological coherence, similar to that of ARENA and Nuestro Tiempo, which could be indicative of a more predictable and effective legislative behavior. Finally, the research concludes that high ideological coherence facilitates accountability and ensures stable levels of electoral support, while low coherence poses challenges for parties to maintain electoral support.