Raising the Threshold, Fighting Fragmentation? Mechanical and Psychological Effects of the Legal Electoral Threshold in Belgium

Reuchamps, Min; Onclin, François; Caluwaerts, Didier; Baudewyns, Pierre

doi:10.1080/01402382.2014.925736

Article (Scientific journals)

Raising the Threshold, Fighting Fragmentation? Mechanical and Psychological Effects of the Legal Electoral Threshold in Belgium

Reuchamps, Min; Onclin, François; Caluwaerts, Didier et al.

2014 • In West European Politics, 37 (5), p. 1087-1107

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

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https://hdl.handle.net/2268/171437

DOI
10.1080/01402382.2014.925736

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Keywords :

Electoral threshold; Mechanical effects; Psychological Effects

Abstract :

[en] Many proportional representation systems are characterised by a legal electoral threshold. Such a threshold reserves the allocation of seats for those parties that reach a minimum share of the votes. In order to fight fragmentation, a 5 per cent threshold has been introduced for both federal and regional elections in Belgium. This article seeks to explore the mechanical and psychological effects of this legal threshold after five elections. It is shown that the threshold has had limited mechanical and psychological effects on voters but some psychological effects on party elites. Moreover, while in the short term the average number of lists dropped and several pre-electoral coalitions formed, in the longer term the legal threshold has not prevented further fragmentation.

Disciplines :

Political science, public administration & international relations

Author, co-author :

Reuchamps, Min

Onclin, François ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de droit > Droit public et administratif

Caluwaerts, Didier

Baudewyns, Pierre

Language :

English

Title :

Raising the Threshold, Fighting Fragmentation? Mechanical and Psychological Effects of the Legal Electoral Threshold in Belgium

Publication date :

2014

Journal title :

West European Politics

ISSN :

0140-2382

eISSN :

1743-9655

Publisher :

Routledge

Volume :

Issue :

Pages :

1087-1107

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Funders :

F.R.S.-FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique

Available on ORBi :

since 20 August 2014

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