The Paradox of Proportional Representation
The Effect of Party Systems and Coalitions on Individuals' Electoral Participation
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6345596 |
|---|---|
| Authors | David Brockington (University of Plymouth, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2004 |
| Volume | 52 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 469-490 |
| Publication date | 2004-10-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Political Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0032-3217 • E-ISSN: 1467-9248 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1111/j.1467-9248.2004.00491.x |
| OpenAlex | W2148266229 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 43 |
| References cited | 39 |
Empirical findings based on aggregate data have found that proportional representation (PR) has a mixed relationship with electoral participation. Large party systems, thought to be one of the benefits of PR in increasing turnout, instead depress turnout. This article examines two theories that seek to account for this paradox – that coalition governments resulting from larger party systems serve to depress turnout, and that larger party systems increase the complexity of the decision environment for voters. By combining individual-level data from the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems with contextual measures of effective number of parties, coalition structure and disproportionality, this article tests for interactions between the characteristics and attitudes of individuals and the contextual influences on electoral participation. The frequency of coalitions that violate the minimal-winning rule depresses turnout, especially among supporters of major parties. By accounting for variations in coalition governments, larger party systems appear, on balance, to enhance, rather than depress, individuals' propensity to vote. Limited evidence is reported that indicates that this participation-enhancing role of larger party systems is not evenly distributed across the electorate, as those lacking a university degree may find the decision environment created by larger party systems more complex
Aggregate (composite · Aggregate data · Democracy · Economics · Electoral system · Empirical evidence · Political science · Politics · Proportional representation · Public economics · Representation (politics · Survey data collection · Turnout · Voting · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Gender Politics and Representation · Law · Social Policy and Reform Studies
District-level drivers of voter turnout
Explaining voter turnout
What Affects Voter Turnout? A Review Article/Meta-Analysis of Aggregate Research
Turnout, party system diversity and left-of-centre parties
When too many is too much
Is the Turnout Function in Democracies and Nondemocracies Alike or Different
Physical attractiveness, voter heuristics and electoral systems
Partisan and non-partisan conspiracy theories’ diverging effects on political participation
Do open lists increase turnout? Probably not, but they increase rates of voter error
Electoral plutocracy
Polarization, Number of Parties, and Voter Turnout
Electoral Systems and Turnout
District magnitude and electoral turnout
Uncovering the micro-foundations of turnout and electoral systems
Do electoral rules have an effect on electoral behaviour? An impact assessment
Who is responsible? The effect of clarity of responsibility on voter turnout
The Contraction Effect
Institutional Influences on Turnout in Mixed Member Electoral Systems
Too much to choose from? The long-term effects of political fragmentation on electoral turnout
Clans, Electoral Procedures and Voter Turnout
Do political parties matter for turnout? Number of parties, electoral rules and local elections in Brazil and Bolivia
The effect of district magnitude on turnout
It’s About The Benefits
Pre-electoral coalitions and voter turnout
Turnout and the (effective) number of parties at the national and district levels
Presidentialism and Voter Turnout in Legislative Elections
Gender, political participation and electoral systems
Voter Turnout in Presidential Democracies
Voter Turnout in Africa's Multiparty Regimes
A Deeper Look at the Proportionality—Turnout Nexus
Addressing the Gender Gap
Why Bother? Supporters of Locally Weaker Parties Are Less Likely to Vote or to Vote Sincerely
Perspectives on the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems
Making a difference? Public perceptions of coalition, single-party, and minority governments
The dark side of proportionality
Holding parties responsible at election time
Disengaging voters
Voter overrepresentation, vote misreporting, and turnout bias in postelection surveys
The personal vote and voter turnout
What's at stake? A veto-player theory of voter turnout
Understanding unequal turnout
Identifying the Institutional Effects of Mixed Systems in New Democracies
Electoral Participation
The theory of political coalitions.
Participation and political equality
Making Votes Count
A Theory of Parties and Electoral Systems
To Vote or Not to Vote
The political consequences of electoral laws
An economic theory of democracy
Patterns of democracy
Minority government and majority rule
Political Parties
Response Validity in Surveys of Voting Behavior
Election Systems and Voter Turnout
The Consequences of Validated and Self-Reported Voting Measures
Electoral Rules and the Calculus of Mobilization
Electoral Systems and the Representation of Minority Interests in Legislatures
Turnout in Electoral Democracies
Does proportional representation foster voter turnout
Effective” Number of Parties
Voter Turnout in the Industrial Democracies during the 1980s
The Impact of Proportional Representation on Turnout
Strategic Voting in Britain
Self-Reported Turnout and Voter Validation
The Multicandidate Calculus of Voting
Getting Out the Vote
Official and Reported Turnout in the British General Election of 1987
Constituency Characteristics, Individual Characteristics and Tactical Voting in the 1987 British General Election
Proportionality, disproportionality and electoral systems
Do voters turn out more under proportional than majoritarian systems? The evidence from Swiss communal elections
Who Overreports Voting
Beyond SES
Strategic and Protest Voting for Third Parties
Political Institutions and Satisfaction with Democracy
The Political Consequences of Electoral Laws, 1945-85
Political Institutions and Voter Turnout in the Industrial Democracies
| Unique citing works | 43 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2,15 |
| Citation span | 2006 - 2026 (21) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 43 |