The Slow Death of a Governing Party: The Erosion of Conservative Local Electoral Support in England 1979–97

2002 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 271-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin Rallings ◽  
Michael Thrasher ◽  
Ron Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Electoral System ◽  
Conservative Party ◽  
Party Competition ◽  
Local Elections ◽  
Electoral Support ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Apparent Ability

This article first describes the decline in Conservative Party representation in local government over the period 1979–97. It then explores a number of factors to account for the nature and depth of that decline, including: differential abstention; the desertion of heartland voters; tactical voting at local level; and electoral bias. Clearly, the Conservatives' performance at local elections was worse than might have been expected given the party's overall electoral popularity. It appears that Conservative council candidates largely fell victim to the changing pattern of party competition and the apparent ability of rival parties to target seats more effectively. Furthermore, the impact of these factors was compounded by the operation of biases within the electoral system.

scholarly journals Jednomandatowe okręgi wyborcze a jakość reprezentacji. Przykład zastosowania jakościowej analizy porównawczej

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-170
Author(s):  
Igor Lyubashenko ◽  
Marta Żerkowska-Balas
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Political Representation ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Electoral System ◽  
City Council ◽  
Quality Of Democracy ◽  
The Impact

This article attempts to make an empirical verification of the impact the electoral law on shaping the expectations of voters towards elected representatives. The analysis was conducted using data collected under the project entitled ‘The impact of electoral rules on the quality of local democracy in Poland’, whose fundamental premise was to take advantage of the situation arising after the amendment to the Electoral Code in 2011, as a result of which different electoral regulations were in force in the 2014 local government elections in various similar cities. Therefore, it was possible to verify a number of statements functioning in public space regarding issues, such as the positive impact of single-mandate constituencies on the quality of democracy (in particular, on the quality of democracy at the local level).The purpose of the analysis was to try to find regularities in changes in perceiving the role of councillors that may have occurred as a result of different electoral regulations. To this end, we used the qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) methodology, which allows the study of relationships between sets and the interpretation of these relationships in terms of necessity and sufficiency.The results suggest that the introduction of the majority system in a number of cities in the 2014 local government elections did not lead to the formation of a coherent model of political representation at the city council level, which would be qualitatively different from the representation model characteristic for cities with a proportional electoral system.

scholarly journals Impact of the Informal Institutional Forces on the Local Government Elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-70
Author(s):  
Niaz Ahmad ◽  
Abida Bano ◽  
Ashfaq Rehman
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Local Elections ◽  
Formal Institutions ◽  
Political Awareness ◽  
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ◽  
Institutional Forces ◽  
Grass Root ◽  
Grass Root Level

Local government is visualised as a tool for promoting political participation, downward accountability, which consequently leads to the establishment of good governance at the grass-root level. In the establishment of the local government system, the main ingredients of good governance, such as participation and downward accountability, reckon almost on the nature of elections. However, societies marked with strong cultural and socially embedded informal institutions, already existed from generations, hinder formal institutions to play its intended role. In Pakistan, some socio-cultural features like gender, ascribed status, and economic background of the individuals influence the entire process of elections adversely. This paper attempts to assess the processes of the local government elections in District Karak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan. It aims to highlight the deterministic role of other informal institutional forces that affect the outcome of local elections. It investigates, how the process of local government elections is influenced in Pakistan and how do people decide whom to vote for in these elections. The study argues that policymakers should work on strengthening the formal institutions of elections through measures such as monitoring by media, referendums, auditing, evaluations, education, and political awareness as alternatives to ensure good governance at the local level in Pakistan.

Devolution offers rewards in Egypt, but may be gradual

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Private Investment ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Local Administration ◽  
Local Elections ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Democratic Reform ◽  
Job Opportunities

Subject The Local Administration Draft Law. Significance A new Local Administration Draft Law is currently being discussed in parliament to replace the existing legislation, dating from 1979. The capacity of local government to carry out various developmental functions has long been undermined by the centralised political and fiscal system. The new law, however, aims to give broader powers to subnational authorities. The law is meant to pave the way for local elections, scheduled for the first quarter of 2019. Impacts The central government will use local elections to boost its popularity and demonstrate commitment to democratic reform. The application of the new law will increase competition among local government units to attract private investment. The local economy will grow in areas where councillors can ease the process of doing business and decrease bureaucracy. More job opportunities will be created at the local level.

scholarly journals Governance of disaster risk reduction in Cameroon: The need to empower local government

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry N. Bang
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Risk Reduction ◽  
Disaster Risk Reduction ◽  
Research Policy ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
Reduction Strategies ◽  
Risk Reduction Strategies ◽  
The Impact

The impact of natural hazards and/or disasters in Cameroon continues to hit local communities hardest, but local government lacks the ability to manage disaster risks adequately. This is partly due to the fact that the necessity to mainstream disaster risk reduction into local governance and development practices is not yet an underlying principle of Cameroon’s disaster management framework. Using empirical and secondary data, this paper analyses the governance of disaster risks in Cameroon with particular focus on the challenges local government faces in implementing disaster risk reduction strategies. The hypothesis is that the governance of disaster risks is too centralised at the national level, with huge implications for the effective governance of disaster risks at the local level. Although Cameroon has reinvigorated efforts to address growing disaster risks in a proactive way, it is argued that the practical actions are more reactive than proactive in nature. The overall aim is to explore the challenges and opportunities that local government has in the governance of disaster risks. Based on the findings from this research, policy recommendations are suggested on ways to mainstream disaster risk reduction strategies into local governance, and advance understanding and practice in the local governance of disaster risks in the country.

scholarly journals Formation of budgets of local self governance in the system of social development of territorial communities

2018 ◽  
pp. 153-161
Author(s):  
Alexey Chugunov
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Social Development ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Financial Regulation ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Endogenous Factors ◽  
Budget Planning ◽  
Local Government Budget ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Budget System

The subject of the study is theoretical and practical issues of the formation of budgets of local self-government in the system of social development of territorial communities. The purpose of the study is to reveal the priority tasks for improving the system of formation of budgets of local self-government. Research methods. The paper uses a set of scientific methods and approaches, including systematic, structural, comparative, factor methods, which allowed to realize the conceptual unity of the research. Results of work. The article reveals the role of local self-government budgets in the development of administrative-territorial units. A number of legislative and normative acts on regulation of the process of formation of budgets of local self-government are generalized. The priority tasks of the budget policy concerning support of territorial communities, strengthening of their tax capacity, increase of efficiency of coordination of activity of bodies of state power and local self-government are determined. The article is based on the establishment of an effective institutional framework for the formation of local self-government budgets in the system of social development of territorial communities. The field of application of results. System of state financial regulation, budgetary policy, budget system. Conclusions. The development of the budget system is possible by ensuring the sustainability of the formation of local government budgets in the system of social development of territorial communities, activating their innovation-investment component and strengthening the influence on the socio-economic development of administrative-territorial units. The importance of further enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of the formation of local government budgets is conditioned by the need to increase the efficiency of the management of public financial resources in the conditions of their constraints, the development of a strategy for the development of local government budgets and the creation of institutional conditions for increasing their self-sufficiency, taking into account the cyclical nature of economic fluctuations and the impact of exogenous and endogenous factors in financially -budgetary environment. At this stage, the important task is to implement effective transformations of the system of forming local budgets by supporting voluntary associations of territorial communities, which necessitates the increase of efficiency and efficiency of administrative decisions of executive bodies and local governments in the field of strategic budget planning. It is advisable to improve the system of monitoring the socioeconomic efficiency of local government budget expenditures by using qualitative and quantitative indicators, introducing medium-term budget planning at the local level, adhering to the principle of transparency and accountability of local self-governance bodies to the public. Important tasks are improving the system of formation of local budgets taking into account application of modern financial-budget methods and tools; Creation of effective incentives to ensure the interest of local self-government bodies in the growth of their own income base and increase their level of responsibility for the use of budget resources; ensuring adequate revenues to local government budgets, and increasing the efficiency of the use of budget resources.

Does Non-Quota Strategy Matter? A Comparative Study on Candidate Selection and Women's Representation at the Local Level in Germany

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-30
Author(s):  
Florian Ruf
Keyword(s):  
Local Level ◽  
Party Competition ◽  
Candidate Selection ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Women's Representation ◽  
Local Council ◽  
Explanatory Factors ◽  
Women’S Representation ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Local Party

Abstract The intraparty mechanisms through which parties recruit, motivate, and select their candidates are central explanatory factors for the representation of women. This article analyzes the effects of intraparty factors on women's representation by measuring the impact of (1) parties’ non-quota strategies at the regional level—such as establishing women's sections, mentoring programs, or campaign funding for women—and (2) central party gatekeepers at the local level. Exploiting an original, newly compiled data set consisting of 1,475 electoral lists from the 2014 local council elections in the German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, this article shows that parties’ non-quota strategies and central gatekeepers play crucial roles in determining the share of women on local party tickets. This means that who runs for office is, in this case, a question of intraparty dynamics. These dynamics are caused by different mechanisms of non-quota strategies and gender-biased candidate selection combined with interparty effects of local party competition and left-party strength. The almost consistent conditions that the subnational level provides show that the parties’ capacities (or lack thereof) for gendered recruitment is one major explanatory factor and should be tested at least in cross-national comparisons.

The Influence of Neighboring Jurisdictions Matters: Examining the Impact of Natural Disasters on Local Government Fiscal Accounts

2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 435-463
Author(s):  
Yu Shi ◽  
Jingran Sun
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Natural Disasters ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Disaster Relief ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Spillover Effect ◽  
Spatial Factors ◽  
General Fund ◽  
Relief Service ◽  
The Impact

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of natural disasters on emergency and disaster relief service (EDRS) expenditure in the governmental funds for sixty-six counties in the state of Florida between 2009 and 2013. Specifically, it will explore whether the fiscal responses of local governments in these fiscal accounts are spatially dependent by using the spatial Durbin model. It finds that EDRS expenditures in the general fund and in the special revenue fund of one county are influenced by the levels of damage in neighboring counties. This study also finds a spillover effect of intergovernmental revenues from state and federal governments on these EDRS expenditures in fiscal accounts. These results suggest that the provision of public goods (such as disaster relief activities) may generate spatial spillover at the local level in the context of US federalism. Moreover, this study highlights the importance of accounting for spatial factors in the study with respect to local jurisdictions’ fiscal reactions to natural disasters.

scholarly journals Two-tier proportional electoral system in Ukraine: cross-regional analysis of the first approbation

2021 ◽  
pp. 62-79
Author(s):  
Oleksandr Fisun ◽  
◽  
Anton Avksentiev ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Regional Analysis ◽  
Electoral System ◽  
Local Elections ◽  
Party Leaders ◽  
High Figure ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

The article examines some effects from the first approbation of a two-tier proportional system with „flexible” lists in the local elections in Ukraine in 2020. In the comparative-regional context, the impact of the new system on the increase in the number of invalid ballots is analyzed and the percentage of voters who exercised the right to preferential voting for a particular candidate from the district list of the elected party is calculated. Hypotheses about regional differences in these quantitative parameters are formulated: in particular, the share of invalid ballots may be influenced by ethnolinguistic and urban factors. It was found that about 80% of voters who took part in the autumn 2020 vote exercised the right to preferential voting by entering the number of a particular candidate on the ballot – this unexpectedly high figure is in the context of other national cases using proportional systems with „flexible” or clean „open” lists. Particular attention is focused on the relationship between the two levels of the electoral system – the single closed and district flexible lists, and, accordingly, the balance of influence of voters and party leaders on the passage of candidates to local councils. This ratio was calculated for all oblast councils, and the material of the Kharkiv and Lviv oblast councils determined the empirical probability of changing the order of candidates in the district party lists under the influence of voters. Although supporters and lobbyists called the introduction of a new electoral system in Ukraine a model with „open” lists, the article identifies two key institutional mechanisms for significantly downplaying the role of preferential voting in the final determination of candidates. It is argued that according to the results of the personal distribution of seats among the candidates in the party lists, this model of „flexible” lists was closer to the pole of „closed” than „open” lists. Keywords: electoral systems, electoral lists, Electoral Сode of Ukraine, proportional electoral system, „flexible” lists, preferential voting, invalid ballots.

scholarly journals Why Political Parties don’t and do Matter in Local Government Elections in Indonesia: A Manado Case

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (77) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefanus Sampe
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Computer Application ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Local Elections ◽  
Quantitative Methodology ◽  
Structured Interviews

ABSTRACT Introduction: Despite decentralization devolving increasing decision-making powers to subnational governments across Asia, the subject of local-level elections has not received anywhere near the academic attention afforded to national elections. This article aims to make a contribution to filling this gap in the literature on the dynamics of local election by examining the political parties’ activities in the 2010 local executive election in Indonesia through the detailed case study of Manado City. Materials and Methods: This article used a combination of quantitative and qualitative methodologies for a case study of the Manado local government election in 2010. These methods include direct observation which had been done during the election in 2010, review of relevant media articles and books, collection of statistics from relevant government organizations and interviews. The latter comprised the most important and novel aspect of the research. The interviews were of two types: First, there was a quantitative survey of 100 selected voter respondents using questionnaire with 22 closed-ended questions. Second, there were semi-structured interviews with the local leaders of political parties, the heads of campaign teams, the candidates, the members of the local electoral organization, the representatives of NGOs, mass media personnel and the survey organisations who monitored the election. The quantitative data was explored with the aid of a computer application program (SPSS) while the qualitative data was analysed through a thematic approach. Although the qualitative data collection and analysis was dominant, the quantitative methodology was still important in this article. Results: This article found a paradoxical situation in that political parties did not and did matter. They did not matter case was supported by evidence showing that voters chose candidates based on their personalities, behaviours and programs rather than on party loyalty. On the contrary, they did matter case derived from the superior organisational abilities of parties in running successful election campaigns and in aligning themselves with the candidates most likely to win. Discussion: This article had made a valuable addition to explaining the activities of political parties at local level in the context of decentralization. The implication of this research is that although voters did not choose political parties, the latter were nonetheless highly significant in determining the outcome of the local government election in Manado City. So, it is useful for future research to consider more closely the role of parties in local elections.

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