Strategic electoral rule choice under uncertainty

B-Tier
Journal: Public Choice
Year: 2015
Volume: 162
Issue: 3
Pages: 329-350

Authors (2)

Konstantinos Matakos (not in RePEc) Dimitrios Xefteris (University of Cyprus)

Score contribution per author:

1.005 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We study electoral rule choice in a multi-party model with office-motivated parties and electoral outcome uncertainty. We show that when all dominant parties (parties with positive probability of winning the election) have sufficiently good chances of winning, they agree to switch from the PR rule to a more majoritarian one in order to increase their chances of forming a single-party government. We identify the exact degree of disproportionality of the new rule and we prove that it is increasing in the expected vote share of the smaller parties (parties with zero probability of winning otherwise). The necessary and sufficient conditions for such collusion in favor of a majoritarian rule are: (a) the high rents from a single-party government and (b) sufficient uncertainty over the electoral outcome. Our theoretical predictions regarding the degree of the disproportionality of the electoral rule are supported by empirical evidence. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:kap:pubcho:v:162:y:2015:i:3:p:329-350
Journal Field
Public
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-29