A Unified Model of Cabinet Dissolution in Parliamentary Democracies

American Journal of Political Science, Vol. 34, No. 3, pp. 846-871, August 1990

26 Pages Posted: 17 Jan 2008

See all articles by Gary King

Gary King

Harvard University

James E. Alt

Harvard University - Department of Government

Nancy E. Burns

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor

Michael Laver

New York University (NYU)

Abstract

The literature on cabinet duration is split between two apparently irreconcilable positions. The attributes theorists seek to explain cabinet duration as a fixed function of measured explanatory variables, while the events process theorists model cabinet durations as a product of purely stochastic processes. In this paper we build a unified statistical model that combines the insights of these previously distinct approaches. We also generalize this unified model, and all previous models, by including (1) a stochastic component that takes into account the censoring that occurs as a result of governments lasting to the vicinity of the maximum constitutional interelection period, (2) a systematic component that precludes the possibility of negative duration predictions, and (3) a much more objective and parsimonious list of explanatory variables, the explanatory power of which would not be improved by including a list of indicator variables for individual countries.

Suggested Citation

King, Gary and Alt, James E. and Burns, Nancy E. and Laver, Michael, A Unified Model of Cabinet Dissolution in Parliamentary Democracies. American Journal of Political Science, Vol. 34, No. 3, pp. 846-871, August 1990 , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1084181

Gary King (Contact Author)

Harvard University ( email )

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HOME PAGE: http://gking.harvard.edu

James E. Alt

Harvard University - Department of Government ( email )

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Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Nancy E. Burns

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor ( email )

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Michael Laver

New York University (NYU) ( email )

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United States

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