When negotiating the formation of governments in multiparty democracies, do party leaders consistently consider the policy preferences of their voters? Voter Sophistication and Coalition Politics introduces a theoretical framework that places voters-particularly their ideological sophistication-at the heart of coalition bargaining. It challenges existing approaches that portray elite bargaining as isolated from voter reactions, demonstrates that parties anticipate and respond to potential voter backlash during government formation, and traces the impact of these anticipations on government participation, the choice of coalition partners, and expected policy consequences. The book develops a unified empirical model of coalition negotiations, bridging two traditionally separate approaches in the study of government formation: one focused on coalition attributes and the other on party characteristics. This innovative framework sheds light on how party leaders navigate the dual pressures