Militant democracy

I analyze a theoretical model in which a candidate suspected of potentially violating democratic norms if elected is constrained from adopting an extremist position. A social planner (for example, the legal system) seeks to reduce public support for a candidate who threatens democracy. To this end, the social planner declares certain political positions illegal, forcing the candidate to adopt a more moderate public stance. Imposing a more moderate position on the candidate has a non-monotonic effect on her vote share and, consequently, on the risk to democratic institutions. In particular, her vote share may initially increase. However, there is an equilibrium, where it declines as the candidate adopts a more moderate stance.