Credibility disputes over rivals’ bids shape outbidding outcomes.

Evidence

Importantly, many aspects of outbidding contests occur in the perceptual realm. Parties may be tempted to make a bid and then make the case that their rivals’ bids are insincere or lack credibility. So it is an auction involving perception and persuasion rather than hard cash. — Cathy Gormley-Heenan and Roger Macginty, Ethnic Outbidding and Party…, 36

Categorization

• QUESTION: If credibility contests are central in democratic settings, does threatened-privilege mobilization in pluralist democracies hinge more on perceived insincerity of rivals than on actual policy divergence?
• XREF: connects to: Outbidding can backfire by strengthening moderates or branding challengers as spoilers — Cathy Gormley-Heenan and Roger Macginty, Ethnic Outbidding and Party…, 68; Measurability rather than accuracy drives how decision makers compare rivals; Mafiosi attack rivals’ clients to undermine the rivals’ credibility (+3 more)

Related

• Outbidding is context dependent and can phase-shift toward moderation after in-group victory (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• Outbidding can backfire by strengthening moderates or branding challengers as spoilers #expands (0.85) — Cathy Gormley-Heenan and Roger Macginty, Ethnic Outbidding and Party…, 68
• Outbidding is context dependent and can phase-shift toward moderation after in-group victory #expands (0.85) — Cathy Gormley-Heenan and Roger Macginty, Ethnic Outbidding and Party…, 69
• Mafiosi attack rivals’ clients to undermine the rivals’ credibility #exemplifies (0.80)
• Measurability rather than accuracy drives how decision makers compare rivals #qualifies (0.70)