Municipal Size and the Nationalization of Local Party Systems: The Nationalized, Localized and Regionalized Local Party Systems of Denmark, Poland and Belgium

Abstract

Local party systems vary profoundly both between and within countries. The type and the number of parties running and getting elected in local governments differ, and the local party systems resemble the national party system to different degrees. This chapter examines the nationalization of local party systems in three European countries with the institutional settings favouring nationalized (Denmark), regionalized (Belgium), and localized (Poland) local party systems. The empirical analyses clearly demonstrate that the municipal size fairy well explains the level of local party systems’ nationalization in all three countries. Yet, it is evident that the national context should be also taken into account as a necessary supplement of the common structural explanation. The chapter develops hypotheses for further studies and discusses some normative implications.