Electoral reform and partisan dealignment in Indonesia

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 349-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Fossati

There is a vast literature on the effects of electoral institutions on party systems. Research on the relationship between electoral systems and the strength of partisan identities, however, is inconclusive, as existing work mostly focuses on individual-level factors. In this paper, we analyze the case of Indonesia to illustrate the links between electoral laws and patterns of mass partisanship. By exploiting variation over time (four electoral cycles), we show that deep-seated partisan affiliations weakened substantially with the introduction of open-list PR, a system that provides strong incentives to cultivate a personal vote. By analyzing variation across space (189 districts), we further document that partisan alignment has been more pronounced where personal voting is more prevalent. These findings suggest that electoral institutions are a powerful driver of partisan identities, and that the effect of institutional change at the national level may be contingent on local politics.

2021 ◽  
pp. 135406882110119
Author(s):  
Matthew Polacko

Previous research into the relationship between income inequality and turnout inequality has produced mixed results, as consensus is lacking whether inequality reduces turnout for all income groups, low-income earners, or no one. Therefore, this paper builds on this literature by introducing supply-side logic, through the first individual-level test of the impact that income inequality (moderated by policy manifesto positions) has on turnout. It does so through multilevel logistic regressions utilizing mixed effects, on a sample of 30 advanced democracies in 102 elections from 1996 to 2016. It finds that higher levels of income inequality significantly reduce turnout and widen the turnout gap between rich and poor. However, it also finds that when party systems are more polarized, low-income earners are mobilized the greatest extent coupled with higher inequality, resulting in a significantly reduced income gap in turnout. The findings magnify the negative impacts income inequality can exert on political behavior and contribute to the study of policy offerings as a key moderating mechanism in the relationship.


Author(s):  
Nancy R. Buchan ◽  
Robert Rolfe

This research examines the effects of ethnic fractionalization and globalization on individual-level propensities toward generalized trust and cooperation at the national level. Conclusions regarding both ethnic-fractionalization and globalization remain mixed as to their influence on prosocial behavior. This chapter explores the relationship between these variables in Kenya, a country with an extremely heterogeneous population that has increased integration with the global economy over the past decade. Literate Kenyan male and female adults, ages 18 to 60, from two of Kenya’s largest ethnic groups, the Luo and Kikuyu, participated in an experimental public goods game in which players contribute to, and benefit from, a national account. Results are consistent with the argument that it is not ethnic fractionalization per se that is associated with lower cooperation but increased ethnic inequality. The implications of these findings are that trust and cooperation are highly contextually based and influenced by social and environmental factors.


2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiaojiao Feng ◽  
Pengxin Xie

This study explores procedural preferences in the historical development of labour dispute resolution systems at the national level and employees’ pre-experience preference to resolve disputes at the individual level. Drawing on two datasets – one from national public statistics and one from China’s employer–employee matched data – we find that mediation has fluctuated in its use and efficacy, and it has re-emerged as an important method to stabilize labour relations. Employees choose internal mediation only if they feel that the enterprise’s mediation committee is selected fairly. Organizational structure factors, such as the enterprise’s size and the effectiveness of the Staff and Workers Representative Congress, moderate the relationship between employees’ perceptions of justice and procedural preferences. This study contributes to the dispute resolution literature by highlighting the interactions between individual perceptions of justice and organizational factors of procedural preference. Additionally, practical implications are offered to aid in the design of dispute resolution systems and improve organizational justice.


Author(s):  
André Blais ◽  
Shaun Bowler ◽  
Bernard Grofman

Electoral laws are often regarded as the key factors structuring party competition. Yet, despite having very similar electoral systems, reflecting a shared colonial legacy, the United States (U.S.) and Canada have had very different party systems. For the past 100 years, the U.S. is perhaps the most consistently two-party system among the world’s major democracies, but during this same period Canada has experienced considerable variation in the number of parties represented in Parliament at the national level. This chapter addresses both the causes and consequences of this puzzling divergence in party systems in the two countries. We also compare a number of other features of the two nation’s electoral institutions, including campaign finance rules, rules for constituency boundary drawing, bicameralism, and the mechanism for the selection of the executive, with particular attention to the U.S. Electoral College and its alleged link with two-partyism. We also examine the policy consequences of the divergence in party systems and look at the way in which party competition in the two countries may affect voter turnout.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingjing Yao ◽  
Jeanne M. Brett

Purpose It is important to infer and diagnose whether a negotiator is trustworthy. In international negotiations, people may assume that high-trust nations are more likely to produce more trustworthy negotiators. Does this assumption hold universally? This study aims to address this research question by investigating the relationship between national-level societal trust and individual-level trust in negotiations. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a cross-sectional research design and a sample of 910 senior managers from 58 nations or regions. The hypotheses are tested by hierarchical linear modeling. Findings This study draws on the dynamic constructivist theory of culture to propose moderated hypotheses. Results show that societal trust predicts individuals’ social perceptions of attitudinal trust in negotiations, only when cultural face norms are weak rather than strong; societal trust predicts individuals’ social perceptions of behavioral trust in negotiations (i.e. high information sharing and low competitive behavior), only when negotiators process information analytically rather than holistically. Originality/value This study is the first to examine the relationship between national-level societal trust (i.e. generalized trust) and individual-level trust in negotiations (i.e. particularistic trust). It uses a large-scale, multinational sample to show that relying on societal trust to infer trust in negotiations is valid only in Western societies.


Author(s):  
Karen E. Ferree

South Africa’s post-apartheid election outcomes demonstrate how contextual factors interact with electoral rules to shape party systems. South Africa’s national electoral system represents one of the most permissive in the world, combining parliamentary rules with an extreme form of proportional representation. These rules were selected to encourage broad representation of parties in the National Assembly. However, South Africa’s party system consistently defies expectations, with a low effective number of seat-winning parties at the national level and dominance by a single party, the African National Congress (ANC). Provincial and municipal outcomes also confound simple institutional expectations. In addition to describing electoral rules and party systems at all three levels of South Africa’s political system, this chapter argues that contextual factors like the salience of racial divisions and the ability of the ruling party to shape institutions and resource flows critically interact with electoral institutions to shape party system outcomes.


2017 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 381-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Sudulich ◽  
Siim Trumm

A long tradition of studies in political science has unveiled the effects of electoral institutions on party systems and parliamentary representation. Yet their effects on campaign activities remain overlooked. Research in this tradition still lacks a strong comparative element able to explore the nuanced role of electoral institutions in shaping individual-level campaigns during first-order parliamentary elections. This study uses data from a variety of national candidate studies to address this lacuna, and shows that the structure of electoral institutions affects the electoral mobilization efforts put in place by candidates. Candidate-centred electoral systems incentivize more intense and complex mobilization efforts, and shift the campaign focus towards individuals rather than parties. By directly addressing the effects of electoral institutions on campaign behaviour, this study contributes to the wider debate on their role in promoting political engagement and mobilization. These results indicate that electoral institutions affect political competition much more than previously thought.


2016 ◽  
Vol 371 (1690) ◽  
pp. 20150182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon M. Reader ◽  
Julie Morand-Ferron ◽  
Emma Flynn

This theme issue explores how and why behavioural innovation occurs, and the consequences of innovation for individuals, groups and populations. A vast literature on human innovation exists, from the development of problem-solving in children, to the evolution of technology, to the cultural systems supporting innovation. A more recent development is a growing literature on animal innovation, which has demonstrated links between innovation and personality traits, cognitive traits, neural measures, changing conditions, and the current state of the social and physical environment. Here, we introduce these fields, define key terms and discuss the potential for fruitful exchange between the diverse fields researching innovation. Comparisons of innovation between human and non-human animals provide opportunities, but also pitfalls. We also summarize some key findings specifying the circumstances in which innovation occurs, discussing factors such as the intrinsic nature of innovative individuals and the environmental and socio-ecological conditions that promote innovation, such as necessity, opportunity and free resources. We also highlight key controversies, including the relationship between innovation and intelligence, and the notion of innovativeness as an individual-level trait. Finally, we discuss current research methods and suggest some novel approaches that could fruitfully be deployed.


2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 594-619 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Milligan

Abstract Using multilevel models fitted to data from the World Values Survey and national statistics for 22 countries, this paper explores the relationship between both economic inequality and poverty – both across and within nations – and ethnic and religious tolerance. Consistent with previous research, the results demonstrate a positive relationship between individual-level incomes and tolerance. The results also provide contextual modifications to aspects of Inglehart’s (1987) post-materialist thesis by showing that while tolerance is positively associated with national-level economic prosperity, the relationship is stronger for higher income earners than for those who earn less. Finally, the study also contributes an entirely new finding regarding the influence of poverty on tolerance. Specifically, tolerance tends to be highest in countries with low poverty levels. This finding holds for people throughout the income distribution. The paper concludes with a discussion of the policy implications of these findings.


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