Theory seems to predict practice well, in this case. Yes, there are meaningful differences. The differences behave just as game theory would predict, but that

Theory seems to predict practice well, in this case. Yes, there are meaningful differences. The differences behave just as game theory would predict, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. If you want 2nd amendment, vote Republican. If you want to control guns, vote Democrat. You may be right that an individual politician might not flip on a stance because of those dynamics. Some optimize to dynamics and do flip and flop. Others happen to fit the current Nash equilibrium, and will generally eventually lose a primary or a general election once the equilibrium changes, and one with the aligned view will move in. It's a super-competitive system. The result is the same in the end. But in terms of effort, given you're exhausted, perhaps I'll let you search for that when you have more mental capacity. Good starting point is "Rules for Rulers," a short video on Youtube. But there's a lot of robust academic work behind it.