Electoral Laws and the Effective Number of Candidates on Presidential Elections

In: The journal of politics: JOP, Band 61, Heft 1, S. 171-184

Abstract

This study employs data from 33 countries over a 50-year period to analyze the institutional determinants of the effective number of presidential candidates. I find the presidential electoral formula -- plurality vs majority runoff -- to have a strong & significant impact on the effective number of candidates, thereby providing the most substantial support thus far for Duverger's propositions at the presidential level. Unlike previous cross-national studies, I also test for the effect of the presence or absence of an incumbent presidential candidate. The presence of an incumbent has a significant reductive effect on the effective number of candidates. 3 Tables, 1 Appendix, 24 References. Adapted from the source document.