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Towards an analysis of voting power in parliament: an exploration into coalition-making in Nordic parliaments

Lane, Jan-Erik and Maeland, Reinert LU (2007) In Acta Politica 42(4). p.355-379
Abstract
In this explorative paper, coalitions in national assemblies are analysed as n-person games with the Penrose-Banzhaf solution concept. It is shown that forming minority coalitions may result from a rational strategy to maximize voting power. Thus, there is no need to attempt a permanent minimum winning coalition. Moreover, maximizing voting power for a group of players like a disciplined political party involves the making of temporary coalitions over the entire political space, as anything goes. The examples looked at include the present Nordic parliamentary situation in Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway and Iceland.
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
multipartism, Machiavellianism as maximizing voting power, Penrose-Banzhaf approach, Wicksell's unanimity principle, minority coalitions, calculus and interpretation, Nordic parliaments
in
Acta Politica
volume
42
issue
4
pages
355 - 379
publisher
Palgrave Macmillan
external identifiers
  • wos:000251236600001
  • scopus:36549074245
ISSN
0001-6810
DOI
10.1057/palgrave.ap.5500169
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a4d7d09c-c1bd-42be-b55b-f883e5728500 (old id 968977)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 17:01:59
date last changed
2022-01-28 23:55:33
@article{a4d7d09c-c1bd-42be-b55b-f883e5728500,
  abstract     = {{In this explorative paper, coalitions in national assemblies are analysed as n-person games with the Penrose-Banzhaf solution concept. It is shown that forming minority coalitions may result from a rational strategy to maximize voting power. Thus, there is no need to attempt a permanent minimum winning coalition. Moreover, maximizing voting power for a group of players like a disciplined political party involves the making of temporary coalitions over the entire political space, as anything goes. The examples looked at include the present Nordic parliamentary situation in Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway and Iceland.}},
  author       = {{Lane, Jan-Erik and Maeland, Reinert}},
  issn         = {{0001-6810}},
  keywords     = {{multipartism; Machiavellianism as maximizing voting power; Penrose-Banzhaf approach; Wicksell's unanimity principle; minority coalitions; calculus and interpretation; Nordic parliaments}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{355--379}},
  publisher    = {{Palgrave Macmillan}},
  series       = {{Acta Politica}},
  title        = {{Towards an analysis of voting power in parliament: an exploration into coalition-making in Nordic parliaments}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.ap.5500169}},
  doi          = {{10.1057/palgrave.ap.5500169}},
  volume       = {{42}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}