Time dilation: the temporal structure of elite–voter incongruence on redistribution and immigration

While immigration and redistribution issues have increasingly converged at the elite level in Western Europe, they remain less correlated among voters, leading to significant elite–voter incongruence. This article argues that this incongruence is not static but temporal, rooted in political socialisation. Because earlier cohorts were socialised in an era when the immigration issue was less salient, even among elites, their preferences are less constrained by the current configuration of political competition. An Age–Period–Cohort analysis of data from 16 Western European countries demonstrates that the positive association between pro-redistribution and pro-immigration attitudes is weaker among earlier cohorts. This contrasts with newer cohorts, for whom both stances increasingly form a coherent left–right identity, mirroring the elite shift. The incongruence is therefore driven by earlier cohorts (e.g. ‘Left Authoritarians’) who maintain partisanship towards parties that are not fully aligned with their preferences, and it is expected to narrow through generational replacement.