Electoral Competitiveness: Concept and Measurement

Abstract

Electoral competitiveness is a key concept in the study of democratic politics. Yet it remains an open question what competitiveness precisely means and how it should be measured. This panel welcomes papers that seek to contribute to this debate. Relevant issues are, among others: - the measurement of competitiveness across different voting systems, - the incorporation of dynamic aspects of competitiveness (e.g., notions of traditional party strongholds), - the relationship between inter- and intraparty competitiveness, - the relationship between electoral competitiveness at different federal levels, - the link between electoral competitiveness and related concepts such as wasted votes, electoral volatility, disproportionality, effective number of parties etc.

Title	Details
Expectations, Competitiveness and Institutions	View Paper Details
Wasted Votes, the S/F Ratio, Duvergerian Equilibria and Political Competition: A Conceptual Synthesis and Some New Measures	View Paper Details
Does Electoral Competition Affect Government Responsiveness? An Empirical Analysis in Advanced Democracies	View Paper Details
A Micro Perspective on Electoral Competition (and How it Matters for the Choice Process)	View Paper Details