Valence issue

A valence issue is a political issue about which voters will usually share a common preference.

Prosperity is a common valence issue. All voters will want their community to prosper and so the consideration is not whether to seek prosperity or not but instead the issue is which party is most likely to deliver it. Further examples include the desire for high economic growth, low inflation, low unemployment, a strong national defense, high quality education and healthcare, sufficient housing and adequate transport infrastructure.