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The Possibility of a Preference-Based Power Index

Author

Listed:
  • Stefan Napel

    (University of Hamburg, napel@econ.uni-hamburg.de)

  • Mika Widgrén

    (Turku School of Economics, mika.widgren@tukkk.fi)

Abstract

This article replies to the claim that preference-based power indices are impossible and that preferences should be ignored when assessing actors’ influence in different interactions (Braham and Holler [2005] ‘The Impossibility of a Preference-based Power Index’, Journal of Theoretical Politics 17: 137-57). The article argues that preferences are an important determinant of potential and actual outcomes of social interaction and thereby a valuable ingredient of power analysis.

Suggested Citation

  • Stefan Napel & Mika Widgrén, 2005. "The Possibility of a Preference-Based Power Index," Journal of Theoretical Politics, , vol. 17(3), pages 377-387, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:jothpo:v:17:y:2005:i:3:p:377-387
    DOI: 10.1177/0951629805052886
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Baldwin, Richard & Widgren, Mika, 2004. "Winners and Losers Under Various Dual Majority Rules for the EU Council of Ministers," CEPR Discussion Papers 4450, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. Philip Straffin, 1977. "Homogeneity, independence, and power indices," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 30(1), pages 107-118, June.
    3. Bernard Steunenberg & Dieter Schmidtchen & Christian Koboldt, 1999. "Strategic Power in the European Union," Journal of Theoretical Politics, , vol. 11(3), pages 339-366, July.
    4. Dan S. Felsenthal & Moshé Machover, 1998. "The Measurement of Voting Power," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 1489, August.
    5. Stefan Napel & Mika Widgrén, 2006. "The Inter-Institutional Distribution of Power in EU Codecision," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 27(1), pages 129-154, August.
    6. Nurmi, Hannu, 1992. "An Assessment of Voting System Simulations," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 73(4), pages 459-487, June.
    7. Stefan Napel & Mika Widgren, 2004. "Power Measurement as Sensitivity Analysis," Journal of Theoretical Politics, , vol. 16(4), pages 517-538, October.
    8. Michel Regenwetter & James Adams & Bernard Grofman, 2002. "On the (Sample) Condorcet Efficiency of Majority Rule: An alternative view of majority cycles and social homogeneity," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 53(2), pages 153-186, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Fuad Aleskerov, 2008. "Power distribution in the electoral body with an application to the Russian Parliament," ICER Working Papers - Applied Mathematics Series 11-2008, ICER - International Centre for Economic Research.
    2. Stefano Benati & Giuseppe Vittucci Marzetti, 2013. "Probabilistic spatial power indexes," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 40(2), pages 391-410, February.
    3. Agnieszka Rusinowska, 2010. "The Hoede–Bakker Index Modified to the Shapley–Shubik and Holler–Packel Indices," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 19(6), pages 543-569, November.
    4. Jenny Helstroffer & Marie Obidzinski, 2014. "Codecision procedure biais: the European legislation game," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 38(1), pages 29-46, August.
    5. Manfred Holler & Hannu Nurmi, 2010. "Measurement of power, probabilities, and alternative models of man," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 44(5), pages 833-847, August.
    6. Stefan Napel & Mika Widgrén, 2006. "The Inter-Institutional Distribution of Power in EU Codecision," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 27(1), pages 129-154, August.
    7. Fuad Aleskerov & Manfred Holler & Rita Kamalova, 2014. "Power distribution in the Weimar Reichstag in 1919–1933," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 215(1), pages 25-37, April.
    8. Tom Blockmans & Marie-Anne Guerry, 2015. "Probabilistic Spatial Power Indexes: The Impact of Issue Saliences and Distance Selection," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 675-697, July.
    9. Jacob Dijkstra & Marcel A.L.M. Van Assen & Frans N. Stokman, 2008. "Outcomes of Collective Decisions With Externalities Predicted," Journal of Theoretical Politics, , vol. 20(4), pages 415-441, October.
    10. Ansgar Belke & Barbara Schnurbein, 2012. "European monetary policy and the ECB rotation model," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 151(1), pages 289-323, April.
    11. Badinger, Harald & Mühlböck, Monika & Nindl, Elisabeth & Reuter, Wolf Heinrich, 2014. "Theoretical vs. empirical power indices: Do preferences matter?," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 158-176.
    12. Ansgar Belke & Barbara von Schnurbein, 2010. "European Monetary Policy and the ECB Rotation Model – Voting Power of the Core versus the Periphery," Ruhr Economic Papers 0175, Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universität Dortmund, Universität Duisburg-Essen.
    13. Agnieszka Rusinowska, 2010. "The Hoede-Bakker index modified to the Shapley-Shubik and Holler-Packel indices," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) halshs-00406430, HAL.
    14. Stefano Benati & Giuseppe Vittucci Marzetti, 2021. "Voting power on a graph connected political space with an application to decision-making in the Council of the European Union," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 57(4), pages 733-761, November.
    15. Serguei Kaniovski, 2008. "The exact bias of the Banzhaf measure of power when votes are neither equiprobable nor independent," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 31(2), pages 281-300, August.
    16. Stefan Napel & Mika Widgrén, 2011. "Strategic versus non-strategic voting power in the EU Council of Ministers: the consultation procedure," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 37(3), pages 511-541, September.
    17. Ansgar Belke & Barbara von Schnurbein, 2010. "European Monetary Policy and the ECB Rotation Model: Voting Power of the Core versus the Periphery," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 983, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    18. Hans Peters & José M. Zarzuelo, 2017. "An axiomatic characterization of the Owen–Shapley spatial power index," International Journal of Game Theory, Springer;Game Theory Society, vol. 46(2), pages 525-545, May.
    19. Francesco Passarelli & Jason Barr, 2007. "Preferences, the Agenda Setter, and the Distribution of Power in the EU," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 28(1), pages 41-60, January.
    20. Philip D. Grech, 2021. "Power in the Council of the EU: organizing theory, a new index, and Brexit," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 56(2), pages 223-258, February.
    21. Qianqian Kong & Hans Peters, 2021. "An issue based power index," International Journal of Game Theory, Springer;Game Theory Society, vol. 50(1), pages 23-38, March.
    22. Theesfeld, Insa, 2011. "Perceived power resources in situations of collective action," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 4(1), pages 86-103.
    23. Abraham Diskin & Moshe Koppel, 2010. "Voting power: an information theory approach," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 34(1), pages 105-119, January.
    24. Kaniovski, Serguei & Leech, Dennia, "undated". "A behavioral power index," Economic Research Papers 269780, University of Warwick - Department of Economics.
    25. Madeleine O. Hosli & Běla Plechanovová & Serguei Kaniovski, 2018. "Vote Probabilities, Thresholds and Actor Preferences: Decision Capacity and the Council of the European Union," Homo Oeconomicus: Journal of Behavioral and Institutional Economics, Springer, vol. 35(1), pages 31-52, June.

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