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The Psychological Impact of Electoral Laws: Measuring Duverger's Elusive Factor

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  • Blais, André
  • Carty, R. K.

Abstract

Duverger's law regarding the impact of electoral systems on party competition depends upon two effects: the mechanical and the psychological. The former is well defined and well documented, whereas the latter has more often been a matter for theoretical speculation. In this article we provide an operational definition of the psychological effect of electoral systems and measure its impact across twenty democratic systems over more than a century. Our findings suggest that it does exist, that it works as Duverger predicted and that its impact is about the same magnitude as the mechanical effect.

Suggested Citation

  • Blais, André & Carty, R. K., 1991. "The Psychological Impact of Electoral Laws: Measuring Duverger's Elusive Factor," British Journal of Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 21(1), pages 79-93, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:bjposi:v:21:y:1991:i:01:p:79-93_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Jean Forand & Vikram Maheshri, 2015. "A dynamic Duverger’s law," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 165(3), pages 285-306, December.
    2. Fiva, Jon H. & Folke, Olle, 2016. "Mechanical and Psychological Effects of Electoral Reform," British Journal of Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 46(2), pages 265-279, April.
    3. Carina Bischoff, 2013. "Electorally unstable by supply or demand?—an examination of the causes of electoral volatility in advanced industrial democracies," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 156(3), pages 537-561, September.
    4. Jon H. Fiva & Simon Hix, 2018. "Electoral Reform and Voter Coordination," CESifo Working Paper Series 7289, CESifo.
    5. repec:gig:joupla:v:3:y:2011:i:2:p:3-41 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Bishop, Matthew Louis & Corbett, Jack & Veenendaal, Wouter, 2020. "Labor movements and party system development: Why does the Caribbean have stable two-party systems, but the Pacific does not?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    7. Wolfgang C. Müller, 1993. "The Relevance of the State for Party System Change," Journal of Theoretical Politics, , vol. 5(4), pages 419-454, October.
    8. Jean Forand & Vikram Maheshri, 2015. "A dynamic Duverger’s law," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 165(3), pages 285-306, December.
    9. André Blais & Jean-François Laslier & François Poinas & Karine Straeten, 2015. "Citizens’ preferences about voting rules: self-interest, ideology, and sincerity," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 164(3), pages 423-442, September.
    10. Federico Vegetti, 2019. "The Political Nature of Ideological Polarization: The Case of Hungary," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 681(1), pages 78-96, January.
    11. Carla M. N. Caruana & R. Michael McGregor & Aaron A. Moore & Laura B. Stephenson, 2018. "Voting “Ford” or Against: Understanding Strategic Voting in the 2014 Toronto Municipal Election," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 99(1), pages 231-245, March.
    12. Netina Tan & Cassandra Preece, 2020. "Electoral System, Ethnic Parties, and Party System Stability in Myanmar," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 32(2), pages 431-456, April.
    13. Ignacio Lago & Marina Costa Lobo & Santiago Lago-Peñas, 2016. "Coattail effects and electoral coordination," Working Papers. Collection B: Regional and sectoral economics 1603, Universidade de Vigo, GEN - Governance and Economics research Network.
    14. Stephen Coleman, 1995. "Dynamics in the fragmentation of political party systems," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 29(2), pages 141-155, May.

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