Electoral System and Number of Candidates: Candidate Entry under Plurality and Majority Runoff

Damien Bol; André Blais; Jean-François Laslier; Antonin Macé

Electoral System and Number of Candidates: Candidate Entry under Plurality and Majority Runoff

Damien Bol, André Blais, Jean-François Laslier, Antonin Macé

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

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Abstract

We know that electoral systems have an effect on the number of competing candidates. However, a mystery remains concerning the impact of majority runoff. According to theory, the number of competing candidates should be equal (or only marginally larger) under majority runoff than under plurality. However, in real-life elections, this number is much higher under majority runoff. To provide new insights on this puzzle, we report the results of a laboratory experiment where subjects play the role of candidates in plurality and majority runoff elections. We use a candidate-only and sincere-voting model to isolate the effect of the electoral system on the decision of candidates to enter the election. We find very little difference between the two electoral systems. We thus re-affirm the mystery of the number of competing candidates under majority runoff.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Voting Experiments
Editors	André Blais, Jean-François Laslier, Karine Van der Straeten
Place of Publication	Heidelberg
Publisher	Springer
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 4 Oct 2016

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https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-40573-5_16

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title = "Electoral System and Number of Candidates: Candidate Entry under Plurality and Majority Runoff",

abstract = "We know that electoral systems have an effect on the number of competing candidates. However, a mystery remains concerning the impact of majority runoff. According to theory, the number of competing candidates should be equal (or only marginally larger) under majority runoff than under plurality. However, in real-life elections, this number is much higher under majority runoff. To provide new insights on this puzzle, we report the results of a laboratory experiment where subjects play the role of candidates in plurality and majority runoff elections. We use a candidate-only and sincere-voting model to isolate the effect of the electoral system on the decision of candidates to enter the election. We find very little difference between the two electoral systems. We thus re-affirm the mystery of the number of competing candidates under majority runoff.",

author = "Damien Bol and Andr{\'e} Blais and Jean-Fran{\c c}ois Laslier and Antonin Mac{\'e}",

year = "2016",

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T1 - Electoral System and Number of Candidates

T2 - Candidate Entry under Plurality and Majority Runoff

AU - Bol, Damien

AU - Blais, André

AU - Laslier, Jean-François

AU - Macé, Antonin

PY - 2016/10/4

Y1 - 2016/10/4

N2 - We know that electoral systems have an effect on the number of competing candidates. However, a mystery remains concerning the impact of majority runoff. According to theory, the number of competing candidates should be equal (or only marginally larger) under majority runoff than under plurality. However, in real-life elections, this number is much higher under majority runoff. To provide new insights on this puzzle, we report the results of a laboratory experiment where subjects play the role of candidates in plurality and majority runoff elections. We use a candidate-only and sincere-voting model to isolate the effect of the electoral system on the decision of candidates to enter the election. We find very little difference between the two electoral systems. We thus re-affirm the mystery of the number of competing candidates under majority runoff.

AB - We know that electoral systems have an effect on the number of competing candidates. However, a mystery remains concerning the impact of majority runoff. According to theory, the number of competing candidates should be equal (or only marginally larger) under majority runoff than under plurality. However, in real-life elections, this number is much higher under majority runoff. To provide new insights on this puzzle, we report the results of a laboratory experiment where subjects play the role of candidates in plurality and majority runoff elections. We use a candidate-only and sincere-voting model to isolate the effect of the electoral system on the decision of candidates to enter the election. We find very little difference between the two electoral systems. We thus re-affirm the mystery of the number of competing candidates under majority runoff.

M3 - Chapter

BT - Voting Experiments

A2 - Blais, André

A2 - Laslier, Jean-François

A2 - Van der Straeten, Karine

PB - Springer

CY - Heidelberg

ER -

Electoral System and Number of Candidates: Candidate Entry under Plurality and Majority Runoff

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