Proportional Representation and Right-Wing Populism
Evidence from Electoral System Change in Europe
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7677293 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Marlis Becher (0000-0002-0570-3499, IE University, corresponding author), Irene Menéndez González (0000-0003-3308-109X, IE University), Daniel Stegmueller (0000-0003-3188-1253, Duke University) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 53 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 261-268 |
| Publication date | 2023-01-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | British Journal of Political Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0007-1234 • E-ISSN: 1469-2112 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0007123421000703 |
| OpenAlex | W4229015005 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 15 |
| References cited | 21 |
How much do electoral institutions matter for the rise of populist parties? Evidence on this question is mixed, with some scholars arguing that the role of electoral rules is small. We provide new evidence for the impact of electoral system change. The UK's adoption of a proportional electoral system for European elections in 1999 provides a unique opportunity to study the link between electoral rules and the ascendancy of right-wing populist parties. Employing both synthetic control and difference-in-difference methods, we estimate that the electoral reform increased the vote share of right-wing populists by about 12 to 13.5 percentage points on average. During a time when populism was rising across Europe, the reform abruptly shifted populist votes in the UK above the European trend and above more plausible comparison cases. Our results also imply that caution is needed when empirical results based on partial reforms are extrapolated to electoral system change
Democracy · Economics · Electoral geography · Electoral reform · Electoral system · Empirical evidence · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Populism · Proportional representation · Representation (politics · Right wing · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Law · Media Influence and Politics · Populism, Right-Wing Movements
Populism and the quest for political power
How the Electoral System Influences Personalization and Individual Campaign Spending
Populist electoral success and party system concentration
Estimating Treatment Effects on Proportions with Synthetic Controls
The rise of the Reform party in Britain—Modeling Reform voting in the 2024 general election
Electoral Gap and the Opportunity for Democratic Decline in Post-Communist Europe
Representation and resentment
Is the European Parliament a Key to Success for (All) Right-Wing Populist Parties? Two Different Pathways to Engaging with the EP
Subnational Roads to National Success? Decentralization and the Rise of Populist Parties in Europe
Paradox of choices
Proportional Representation and Right-Wing Populism
Is Representation Influence? Electoral Systems and the Radical Right
Electoral Systems, Partisan Politics, and Income Redistribution
Does Proportionality Increase Turnout? A Study of Adaptation to Oscillating Electoral Systems
Electoral institutions and repression in dictatorships
Making Votes Count
Representing Europe's Citizens?
Synthetic Control Methods for Comparative Case Studies
Difference-in-Differences with multiple time periods
Cultural Backlash
Electoral Rules and New Parties
Political Parties
Causes and consequences of the rise of populist radical right parties and movements in Europe
Explaining Variation In The Success Of Extreme Right Parties In Western Europe
Do European Parliament Elections Impact National Party System Fragmentation
Proportional Representation and Right-Wing Populism
Far Right Parties in Europe
The Trade Origins of Economic Nationalism
The Effects of District Magnitude on Voting Behavior
Explaining Vote Switching Across First- and Second-Order Elections
Electoral Reform and Strategic Coordination
Open/Closed List and Party Choice
Electoral Reform and Trade-Offs in Representation
Competition Between Unequals
| Citations per year | 5 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2023 - 2026 (4) |
| Highly cited | No |