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Disentangling the effects of political fragmentation on voter turnout: the Flemish municipal elections
[Auswirkungen politischer Zersplitterung auf die Wahlbeteiligung: die flämischen Kommunalwahlen]

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  • Geys, Benny
  • Heyndels, Bruno

Abstract

Political fragmentation has been shown to be an important determinant of electoral turnout. We introduce an empirical approach that allows disentangling the impact of two dimensions of such fragmentation: the number of parties and the size inequalities between those parties. This is important as it allows us to assess the size, significance and direction of the individual effects of each element – an aspect disregarded in previous research. Our empirical analysis of the 2000 Flemish municipal elections shows that a higher number of parties competing in the election lowers turnout. The size-inequalities between the parties exert a positive – though insignificant – influence on voter participation.

Suggested Citation

  • Geys, Benny & Heyndels, Bruno, 2006. "Disentangling the effects of political fragmentation on voter turnout: the Flemish municipal elections [Auswirkungen politischer Zersplitterung auf die Wahlbeteiligung: die flämischen Kommunalwahle," Discussion Papers, Research Unit: Market Processes and Governance SP II 2006-07, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:wzbmpg:spii200607
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    Cited by:

    1. Federico Revelli, 2013. "Tax limits and local democracy," Working Papers 2013/29, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    2. Claus Michelsen & Peter Boenisch & Benny Geys, 2014. "(De)Centralization and voter turnout: theory and evidence from German municipalities," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 159(3), pages 469-483, June.
    3. Amrita Dillon & GANI ALDASHEV, 2015. "Voter Turnout and Political Rents," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 17(4), pages 528-552, August.
    4. Rodrigo Martins & Francisco Veiga, 2013. "Economic performance and turnout at national and local elections," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 157(3), pages 429-448, December.
    5. Revelli, Federico, 2013. "Tax Limits and Local Democracy," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers 201336, University of Turin.
    6. John Ashworth & Benny Geys & Bruno Heyndels, 2006. "Everyone likes a winner: An empirical test of the effect of electoral closeness on turnout in a context of expressive voting," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 128(3), pages 383-405, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Voter turnout; political fragmentation; local elections;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • H70 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - General

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