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What Kind of Electoral Outcome do People Think is Good for Democracy?

Blais, André ; Bol, Damien ; Bowler, Shaun ; Farrell, David M ; Fredén, Annika LU ; Foucault, Martial ; Heisbourg, Emmanuel ; Lachat, Romain ; Lago, Ignacio and Loewen, Peter John , et al. (2023) In Political Studies 71(4). p.1068-1089
Abstract
There is perennial debate in comparative politics about electoral institutions, but what characterizes this debate is the lack of consideration for citizens’ perspective. In this paper, we report the results of an original survey conducted on representative samples in 15 West European countries (N = 15,414). We implemented an original instrument to elicit respondents’ views by asking them to rate “real but blind” electoral outcomes. With this survey instrument, we aimed to elicit principled rather than partisan preferences regarding the kind of electoral outcomes that citizens think is good for democracy. We find that West Europeans do not clearly endorse a majoritarian or proportional vision of democracy. They tend to focus on aspects of... (More)
There is perennial debate in comparative politics about electoral institutions, but what characterizes this debate is the lack of consideration for citizens’ perspective. In this paper, we report the results of an original survey conducted on representative samples in 15 West European countries (N = 15,414). We implemented an original instrument to elicit respondents’ views by asking them to rate “real but blind” electoral outcomes. With this survey instrument, we aimed to elicit principled rather than partisan preferences regarding the kind of electoral outcomes that citizens think is good for democracy. We find that West Europeans do not clearly endorse a majoritarian or proportional vision of democracy. They tend to focus on aspects of the government rather than parliament when they pass a judgment. They want a majority government that has few parties and enjoys wide popular support. Finally, we find only small differences between citizens of different countries. (Less)
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publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Political Studies
volume
71
issue
4
pages
1068 - 1089
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85118789893
ISSN
0032-3217
DOI
10.1177/00323217211055560
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
bae63268-4394-4daa-b17b-4139a393a1c6
alternative location
https://doi.org/10.1177/00323217211055560
date added to LUP
2021-12-15 14:17:02
date last changed
2024-01-09 15:48:10
@article{bae63268-4394-4daa-b17b-4139a393a1c6,
  abstract     = {{There is perennial debate in comparative politics about electoral institutions, but what characterizes this debate is the lack of consideration for citizens’ perspective. In this paper, we report the results of an original survey conducted on representative samples in 15 West European countries (N = 15,414). We implemented an original instrument to elicit respondents’ views by asking them to rate “real but blind” electoral outcomes. With this survey instrument, we aimed to elicit principled rather than partisan preferences regarding the kind of electoral outcomes that citizens think is good for democracy. We find that West Europeans do not clearly endorse a majoritarian or proportional vision of democracy. They tend to focus on aspects of the government rather than parliament when they pass a judgment. They want a majority government that has few parties and enjoys wide popular support. Finally, we find only small differences between citizens of different countries.}},
  author       = {{Blais, André and Bol, Damien and Bowler, Shaun and Farrell, David M and Fredén, Annika and Foucault, Martial and Heisbourg, Emmanuel and Lachat, Romain and Lago, Ignacio and Loewen, Peter John and Nemčok, Miroslav and Pilet, Jean-Benoit and Plescia, Carolina}},
  issn         = {{0032-3217}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{1068--1089}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Political Studies}},
  title        = {{What Kind of Electoral Outcome do People Think is Good for Democracy?}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/00323217211055560}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/00323217211055560}},
  volume       = {{71}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}