Why do CSU/CDU Members Vote for Marriage for All? If They Face Competition Within Their Constituency!

A new study by the ifo Institute shows that CDU/CSU members of the Bundestag who were elected in secure constituencies were significantly more likely to vote against marriage for all than members of the Bundestag from contested constituencies. An increase of one percentage point in the electoral lead in the 2013 Bundestag elections increased the likelihood of voting against marriage for all by 1.3 percentage points in June 2017. These results suggest that re-election motives also play a major role in roll-call votes, in which MPs should only be bound by their conscience.