Duverger's Law, Penrose's Power Index and the Unity of the UK

Datos Bibliográficos

ID7972767
AutoresIan Mclean (0000-0001-5607-5966, Nuffield Foundation, autor de correspondencia), Iain Mclean (Nuffield College), Alistair Mcmillan (Nuffield College, autor de correspondencia), Dennis Leech (University of Warwick, autor de correspondencia)
Año2005
Volumen53
Número3
Páginas457-476
Fecha de publicación2005-10-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaPolitical Studies (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0032-3217 • E-ISSN: 1467-9248
EditorialSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1111/j.1467-9248.2005.00539.x
OpenAlexW2153561610
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas6
Referencias citadas18

As predicted by Duverger's Law, the UK has had two-party competition for long periods in most electoral districts. However, there are different patterns of two-party competition in different districts and more than two effective parties in the Commons. Since 1874, parliament has always contained parties wishing to modify the Union and contesting seats only outside England. By calculating the Penrose power index for all parties in the House of Commons for all general elections since 1874, we identify when such parties were pivotal. We explain various legislative changes (for example the Crofters Act 1886, the first three Irish Home Rule Bills, the Parliament Act 1911) and non-changes (for example the failure to enact female suffrage before 1914) by reference to the Penrose index scores. The scores also explain how and why policy towards Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland changed and did not change in the 1970s

Commons · Economics · House of Commons · Index (typography · Irish · Law and economics · Legislature · Liberal Party · Parliament · Political science · Politics · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Irish and British Studies · Law · Social Policy and Reform Studies