A Natural Experiment on Electoral Law Reform

Evaluating the Long Run Consequences of 1990s Electoral Reform in Italy and Japan

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Methodology, Business & Finance, Economics, Theory of Economics, Political Science
Cover of the book A Natural Experiment on Electoral Law Reform by , Springer New York
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: ISBN: 9781441972286
Publisher: Springer New York Publication: February 1, 2011
Imprint: Springer Language: English
Author:
ISBN: 9781441972286
Publisher: Springer New York
Publication: February 1, 2011
Imprint: Springer
Language: English

In the early 1990s, major electoral reforms took place in both Italy and Japan; each replaced a form of “proportional representation” (in which voters cast a ballot for a party list) with a “mixed member” system (in which voters cast ballots for individual candidates and party lists). The reforms were enacted by political elites in the context of divisions within the dominant party, changing patterns of party support, and party splits, in efforts to retain power while responding to charges of corruption, clientelism, and lack of accountability. The experiences of both countries provide a laboratory in which to investigate the effects and implications of the reforms, and, more broadly to analyze voter behavior in the context of institutional change. The introduction provides an overview of post-WWII politics and electoral reform in Italy and Japan. In each of the next four chapters, specialists in Italian and Japanese electoral politics are teamed up to review data both before and after the reforms. Within this comparative framework, the authors explore such topics as changes in party competition, candidate selection mechanisms, and intra-party politics. The concluding chapter considers the longer-term consequences—both anticipated and unanticipated—of the reforms; despite superficially similar conditions, the effects in the two countries were dramatically different: in Japan, the new system has taken hold, with minor modifications, while in Italy, there was a reversion to a proportional representation system. As the essays in this volume demonstrate, to understand why similar reforms had such different effects in the two countries we must examine how electoral systems are embedded in broader institutional and social arrangements, and at the complex interplay of political geography, political history, and the rational calculations of political actors.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In the early 1990s, major electoral reforms took place in both Italy and Japan; each replaced a form of “proportional representation” (in which voters cast a ballot for a party list) with a “mixed member” system (in which voters cast ballots for individual candidates and party lists). The reforms were enacted by political elites in the context of divisions within the dominant party, changing patterns of party support, and party splits, in efforts to retain power while responding to charges of corruption, clientelism, and lack of accountability. The experiences of both countries provide a laboratory in which to investigate the effects and implications of the reforms, and, more broadly to analyze voter behavior in the context of institutional change. The introduction provides an overview of post-WWII politics and electoral reform in Italy and Japan. In each of the next four chapters, specialists in Italian and Japanese electoral politics are teamed up to review data both before and after the reforms. Within this comparative framework, the authors explore such topics as changes in party competition, candidate selection mechanisms, and intra-party politics. The concluding chapter considers the longer-term consequences—both anticipated and unanticipated—of the reforms; despite superficially similar conditions, the effects in the two countries were dramatically different: in Japan, the new system has taken hold, with minor modifications, while in Italy, there was a reversion to a proportional representation system. As the essays in this volume demonstrate, to understand why similar reforms had such different effects in the two countries we must examine how electoral systems are embedded in broader institutional and social arrangements, and at the complex interplay of political geography, political history, and the rational calculations of political actors.

More books from Springer New York

Cover of the book Old Growth Urban Forests by
Cover of the book Information Systems Theory by
Cover of the book Fundamental Frequency in Sentence Production by
Cover of the book Bioaerosol Detection Technologies by
Cover of the book Global Virology II - HIV and NeuroAIDS by
Cover of the book Molecular Biophysics for the Life Sciences by
Cover of the book Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection by
Cover of the book Handbook of Asian American Health by
Cover of the book Statistical Confidentiality by
Cover of the book Coronary Artery CTA by
Cover of the book The Art of Writing Reasonable Organic Reaction Mechanisms by
Cover of the book Oxygen Transport to Tissue XXXVII by
Cover of the book Advances in Child Neuropsychology by
Cover of the book Theory of Stochastic Processes by
Cover of the book Morphology, Phonology, and Aphasia by
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy