McGann, Anthony and Dellepiane-Avellaneda, Sebastian and Bartle, John (2023) Dynamics of Public Opinion and Policy Response under Proportional and Plurality Elections. Economics and Politics, 35 (1). pp. 333-355. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/ecpo.12217
McGann, Anthony and Dellepiane-Avellaneda, Sebastian and Bartle, John (2023) Dynamics of Public Opinion and Policy Response under Proportional and Plurality Elections. Economics and Politics, 35 (1). pp. 333-355. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/ecpo.12217
McGann, Anthony and Dellepiane-Avellaneda, Sebastian and Bartle, John (2023) Dynamics of Public Opinion and Policy Response under Proportional and Plurality Elections. Economics and Politics, 35 (1). pp. 333-355. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/ecpo.12217
Abstract
We compare the patterns of adjustment of government policy to changes in public opinion in the Netherlands and the UK. These countries are similar in many ways, except that the UK has plurality elections and single-party government, while the Netherlands has proportional representation and coalition government. This provides the first application of the Macro Polity approach (Erikson et al., 2002) to a country with PR elections. We find that government policy in the Netherlands is highly responsive to public opinion. This cannot be the result of alternation of government, but instead must be the result of some other process, such as coalition bargaining. In the UK, however, the dynamic of adjustment is far more complex. Alternation of government does not produce responsiveness, but rather seems to get in the way of it. This leads to an over-correction dynamic in which policy can be out of line with public opinion for long periods of time.
Item Type: | Article |
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Uncontrolled Keywords: | government expenditure; government policy; plurality elections; proportional representation; public opinion |
Divisions: | Faculty of Social Sciences Faculty of Social Sciences > Government, Department of |
SWORD Depositor: | Unnamed user with email elements@essex.ac.uk |
Depositing User: | Unnamed user with email elements@essex.ac.uk |
Date Deposited: | 21 Jun 2022 12:08 |
Last Modified: | 16 May 2024 21:18 |
URI: | http://repository.essex.ac.uk/id/eprint/32737 |
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Filename: Economics Politics - 2022 - McGann - Dynamics of public opinion and policy response under proportional and plurality.pdf
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