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Endogenous party formation in a model of representative democracy

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  • Haan, Marco

    (Groningen University)

Abstract

We extend the citizen candidate framework by allowing for endogenous party formation. When a party is formed, any member of that party that wants to be a candidate in the election, first has to run in the primary election of her party. We show that in equilibrium one left-wing and one right-wing party will be formed. Also, there may be a range of tiny centrist parties. At most one group of extreme citizens may not be a member of any party. For each party, at most one candidate runs in its primary election. There is a range of equilibria in which one candidate runs in the general election, but we find a unique two-candidate equilibrium. We thus show that allowing for parties to form severely restricts the range of possible equilibria in the citizen candidate model.

Suggested Citation

  • Haan, Marco, 2000. "Endogenous party formation in a model of representative democracy," CCSO Working Papers 200010, University of Groningen, CCSO Centre for Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:gro:rugccs:200010
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    1. Martin J. Osborne, 1995. "Spatial Models of Political Competition under Plurality Rule: A Survey of Some Explanations of the Number of Candidates and the Positions They Take," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 28(2), pages 261-301, May.
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    6. Martin J. Osborne & Al Slivinski, 1996. "A Model of Political Competition with Citizen-Candidates," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 111(1), pages 65-96.
    7. Wittman, Donald A., 1973. "Parties as Utility Maximizers," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 67(2), pages 490-498, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Hamlin, Alan & Jennings, Colin, 2001. "Group formation and competition: instrumental and expressive approaches," Discussion Paper Series In Economics And Econometrics 0110, Economics Division, School of Social Sciences, University of Southampton.

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