Abstract
Does information about the consequences of proposals to change the Norwegian parliamentary electoral system influence voters' and politicians' attitudes towards the system? Is the willingness to accept change greater among voters/politicians who “lose” under the present electoral system? These questions are illuminated using empirical data from two identical survey experiments, with responses from both voters and politicians about 1) increased proportionality between parties (more seats for smaller parties) and 2) increased geographical proportionality (stronger representation for the more populous counties). The results show that being informed about the consequences of the proposals has a major effect on voters' and politicians' attitudes. This applies especially to the question of increased proportionality between parties, where feedback was particularly negative from respondents who were told that the proposal might weaken the larger parties’ representation and make it more difficult to establish viable governments. The responses to the question about increased proportionality between parties were also influenced by partisanship; politicians who belonged to or voters who voted for one of the smaller parties favour increased proportionality. We also find that there is limited support for the proposal to distribute parliamentary seats according to the number of inhabitants in the counties, and this support is further reduced when the respondents are informed that the measure will increase representation from the more populous parts of the country.
Highlights
The electoral system is one of the most important political in stitutions in a democracy
In the experiment on increased geographical proportionality, we expect that voters/politicians who live in counties that will lose Storting seats will be less willing to accept change than those who live in counties that will receive increased representation
By using two identical survey experiments dealing with propor tionality in 1) political party representation and 2) geographic repre sentation, we find a fair amount of support for the existing system
Summary
The electoral system is one of the most important political in stitutions in a democracy. The design of the electoral system is important because it affects the structure of the party system, the ability to create viable governments, the degree of representativeness, the selection of candidates, and the extent of party discipline and voter participation (Farell, 1997; Anckar, 2002; Norris, 2004; Gallagher and Mitchell, 2005; Shugart and Taagepera, 2017). This means that changes in the electoral system can have a major impact on the dynamics of the political system. Thereafter, we explain the data, the design of the two ex periments and their results, before discussing the implications of the analyses
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.