1. Electoral System Change In The Netherlands: The Road From PR To PR.
- Author
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Van der Kolk, Henk
- Subjects
- *
ELECTIONS , *REPRESENTATIVE government , *COMPULSORY voting , *PRACTICAL politics , *DECISION making - Abstract
Using the model of Benoit (2004) we describe and explain the change and persistence of the Dutch electoral system between 1897 and 2005. We focus on the introduction of proportional representation in 1917, the attempts to further increase the threshold between 1950 and 1980, the abolishment of compulsory voting in 1970, the attempt to introduce a district system with large multi-member districts in 1970, and finally the attempt in 2005 to introduce a mixed system with multi-member districts. We systematically use ex ante perceived consequences of an alternative electoral system with regard to changes in the distribution of seats to understand the preferences of political parties with regard this alternative system. We will show that many (stated) preferences of political parties with regard to electoral systems change can indeed be understood once we assume parties to be seat-maximizers. Some preferences, however, cannot be explained by this assumption. In addition many potential changes in the Dutch electoral law appear to have no consequences for the distribution of seats at all. This means the model of Benoit is unable to explain or predict a large set of potential changes in an electoral system. In addition we shall show that electoral law change and other policy areas and tightly connected. This makes preferences with regard to electoral systems and the decision-making procedures only part of an explanation of decision-making about electoral systems. Electoral systems are simply part of politics and therefore less predictable than is assumed by Benoit. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2005