The Importance of the Electoral Rule: Evidence from Italy

10 Pages Posted: 20 Feb 2011

See all articles by Massimo Bordignon

Massimo Bordignon

Universita Cattolica; CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute)

Andrea Monticini

Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Milan - Institute of Economy and Finance

Date Written: February 16, 2011

Abstract

We employ bootstrap methods (Efron (1979)) to test the effect of an important electoral reform implemented in Italy from 1993 to 2001, that moved the system for electing the Par-liament from purely proportional to plurality rule (for 75% of the seats). We do not find any effect on either the number of parties or the stability of governments (the two main objectives of the reform) that remained unchanged at their pre-reform level.

Keywords: electoral system, plurality rule, Duverger’s law, bootstrap

JEL Classification: H000

Suggested Citation

Bordignon, Massimo and Monticini, Andrea, The Importance of the Electoral Rule: Evidence from Italy (February 16, 2011). CESifo Working Paper Series No. 3347, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1762577 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1762577

Massimo Bordignon (Contact Author)

Universita Cattolica ( email )

20123 Milano
Italy
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CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute)

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Munich, DE-81679
Germany

Andrea Monticini

Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Milan - Institute of Economy and Finance ( email )

Via Necchi 5
20123 Milano
Italy