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Electoral politics

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Electoral politics is the study of the processes, behaviors, and systems involved in the selection of representatives through elections. It encompasses the analysis of voter behavior, electoral systems, campaign strategies, and the impact of political parties and interest groups on the electoral process.
lightbulbAbout this topic
Electoral politics is the study of the processes, behaviors, and systems involved in the selection of representatives through elections. It encompasses the analysis of voter behavior, electoral systems, campaign strategies, and the impact of political parties and interest groups on the electoral process.

Key research themes

1. How and why do political parties manipulate elections beyond the goal of winning votes?

This research theme investigates the motivations and mechanisms behind electoral manipulation, extending the traditional view that parties manipulate elections solely to secure victory. It emphasizes that manipulation serves informational and strategic purposes that impact broader political dynamics such as signaling strength, bargaining power, and future political challenges. Understanding these drivers has important implications for detecting, measuring, and counteracting electoral fraud and for preserving the integrity of democratic competition.

Key finding: Simpser (2016, Cambridge University Press) develops the 'more than winning' theory, showing that parties engage in electoral manipulation not solely to win but to convey strength and deter political challenges. The book... Read more

2. What factors explain the origins, change, and strategic selection of electoral institutions and laws?

This theme focuses on electoral systems as political consequences shaped by party systems and strategic behavior rather than static causes of political outcomes. It examines why and how electoral laws are created, maintained, or reformed in response to political incentives, party competition, and broader institutional dynamics. Understanding these processes sheds light on the institutional design choices that structure electoral competition and representation.

Key finding: This review article identifies a critical research gap by shifting the focus from electoral systems causing party systems to systems as effects of party dynamics. It surveys principal explanations for electoral law origins... Read more
Key finding: This study systematically evaluates the major arguments and empirical evidence underlying different electoral system designs, particularly plurality and proportional representation (PR) systems. It clarifies normative and... Read more

3. How do parties strategically select and emphasize campaign issues to maximize electoral support?

This theme explores the strategic calculus behind issue selection in electoral campaigns, particularly regarding position issues where voter preferences diverge. It examines how parties decide which controversial or consensual issues to highlight based on their own standings and the adversary’s positions, affecting campaign dynamics and voter mobilization. Such insights extend understanding of campaign content beyond valence issues and offer predictions about party behavior in multidimensional policy spaces.

Key finding: The authors develop a multidimensional model showing that parties selectively raise salience of policy issues to maximize votes, preferring to emphasize issues where their opponent is weaker or where voter preferences are... Read more

4. What roles do campaign efforts and candidate selection processes play in electoral politics and legislative performance?

This theme examines candidate behavior during campaigns, the mechanisms of party candidate selection, and the relationship between campaign effort and subsequent legislative activity. It also explores intra-party dynamics concerning democratic reforms, inclusiveness, and descriptive representation. Insights inform debates on candidate quality signaling, internal party democracy, and electoral accountability.

Key finding: This study finds that while candidates who campaign harder are more likely to win elections, campaign effort is a weak predictor of legislative effort post-election, as evidenced in the European Parliament and national cases.... Read more
Key finding: The editorial synthesizes research highlighting shifts toward greater inclusiveness and democratization in candidate selection across European parties following the Great Recession, while noting uneven adoption and recent... Read more

5. How have recent political and economic crises reshaped electoral politics and party systems?

This theme investigates how sudden shocks such as economic recessions affect voter behavior, party system stability, political trust, and institutional change. It addresses debates about the permanence of crisis-driven transformations and the ways electoral politics respond to social discontent, economic conditions, and crisis legacies.

Key finding: Focusing on Iceland post-2008 financial crisis, this book finds that while the Great Recession triggered immediate political and behavioral changes, many traditional patterns reasserted over time. It distinguishes between... Read more

6. How do religious, ethnic, and regional political dynamics influence electoral contests in diverse democracies?

This theme explores the complex interplay of identity politics, regionalism, and party competition in shaping voter alignments and electoral outcomes, with attention to contested or conflict-affected regions. It sheds light on how identity-based appeals, historical grievances, and socio-political cleavages transform electoral politics in federal and multiethnic contexts.

Key finding: This analysis of Punjab's 2024 Lok Sabha elections highlights a highly fragmented political contest with four major players competing amid rising Panthic ideology and crises for ruling parties like AAP. It reveals the... Read more
by Waqas Farooq and 
1 more
Key finding: By analyzing constituency-level data, the study challenges the prevailing assumption that low voter turnout in Kashmir benefits the incumbent JKNC party. It finds no systematic evidence that lower turnout correlates with... Read more
Key finding: The paper reveals how the 2024 Nagaland parliamentary election manifested a surprising Congress victory against dominant regional and coalition forces, driven by changing socio-political dynamics rooted in the unique... Read more

7. How do charismatic leadership and party organizational transformation impact electoral dominance in India?

This theme examines the rise of dominant political parties through leader-centered charisma, ideological redefinition, broadening of social bases, and institutional expansion. It analyzes how leadership charisma becomes routinized and institutionalized, influencing voter mobilization, party growth, and electoral outcomes in large, diverse democracies.

Key finding: The article explicates how the Modi 'Wave' leverages charismatic leadership to achieve successive electoral landslides for the BJP, transforming it into a hegemonic party in India. It highlights the institutionalization of... Read more
Key finding: Mehta (2024) traces the BJP's transformation into the world's largest party through strategic social base broadening (including caste inclusivity and rural incorporation), innovative political communication (social media),... Read more

8. What are voter preferences toward gender and minority candidates in contested or authoritarian electoral environments?

This theme addresses how ethnic, religious, and gender minorities participate in elections and how voter biases manifest or evolve in contexts dominated by authoritarian or semi-authoritarian regimes. It uses experimental and observational data to reveal changing norms and electorate openness to non-traditional candidates, challenging assumptions about persistent exclusion based on stereotype and discrimination.

Key finding: Using a large-scale conjoint experiment across six MENA countries, the study finds both male and female respondents show a surprising pro-female candidate bias, including perceiving women as more competent in male-typed... Read more
Key finding: This research highlights political participation patterns of ethnic and religious minorities in Iranian electoral processes, with a focus on provinces characterized by distinct identities. It underscores how minorities engage... Read more

9. How do voter behavior and election outcomes relate to political context and electoral system designs in Pakistan?

This theme analyzes election dynamics in Pakistan, including the impact of youth engagement, digital mobilization, coalition building, and civil-military relations on electoral outcomes. It explores predictive challenges, political volatility, and the interaction between electoral rules, party organization, and societal cleavages in an evolving democratic yet unstable environment.

Key finding: The author analyzes the 2024 Pakistani general elections emphasizing the pivotal role of youth and digital politics amid socio-economic challenges. He critiques traditional elite misreadings and pre-election predictions,... Read more
Key finding: This paper offers detailed constituency-level election forecasts for Pakistan’s 2024 general election, anticipating PML-N to lead without an outright majority and predicting coalition necessities. It highlights the challenges... Read more

All papers in Electoral politics

This study develops a comprehensive model of transparency for Iran’s parliament (Majlis) based on the principles of the right to information and open data. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach with expert interviews, the authors... more
Demokrasi Indonesia sedang menghadapi ujian yang paling fundamental sejak era reformasi bergulir. Di satu sisi, pesta demokrasi digelar dengan meriah-pemilu yang berlangsung damai, partisipasi tinggi, dan kebebasan berpendapat yang... more
Qazi Faiz Mohammad, (A Peasant Leader of Sindh)
Author: Ruk Sindhi
English Edition, Karachi 2025
The decline in college enrolment in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) represents a critical educational challenge, with the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) dropping from 25.3% in 2015 to 19.8% in 2022, compared to the national average of 28.4%. This... more
This paper focuses the role of neopatrimonialism in Nigeria’s elections and the challenge of National security in contemporary Nigerian society: an appraisal. Data were collected through secondary sources and analyzed using qualitative... more
Chowdhary Mohammad Aslam was a distinguished Gujjar leader from the village of Lasana in Surankote Tehsil of District Poonch, Jammu & Kashmir. Known for his nobility, simplicity, honesty, and deep humanitarian values, he earned immense... more
Regional history has become part of mainstream discourse in academia. The idea is to unfold the regional history of a small region, city, or area to holistically understand the historical process and merge it with national identity and... more
This paper examines the early dissolution of Italy’s XVIII legislature following the crisis of Mario Draghi’s national unity government in July 2022. By reconstructing the sequence of political and institutional events that led to... more
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Australia led the world in electoral administration. South Australia was the first jurisdiction anywhere to develop a professional, robust and independent election management body,... more
Social media has emerged as a pivotal arena for youth political participation, particularly within Muslim-majority societies where access to formal civic channels is often constrained. Despite growing interest in digital political... more
Tulisan ini lahir dari kegelisahan penulis terhadap arah perjalanan bangsa ini. Politik tidak hanya hadir sebagai perebutan kursi kekuasaan melainkan juga sebagai wajah budaya: bagaimana rakyat diajak berpikir, dipaksa tunduk, atau... more
This paper assessed the quality of Ghana's democracy along eight dimensions of democratic quality. The empirical basis of the study is information from 80 interviews and secondary sources. The evidence showed that there are... more
Bribery in Bangladesh has evolved from isolated incidents to a deeply embedded systemic phenomenon that affects almost every aspect of governance and society. While the practice contradicts both legal frameworks and religious teachings,... more
This scientific journal article aims to analyze the complex dynamics between the political sphere and public policy formulation in Indonesia during the ongoing democratic transformation era. Since the 1998 Reformation, Indonesia has... more
This paper explores the intricate relationship between Sanskritisation and the institution of marriage in India. Drawing upon sociological and anthropological perspectives, it argues that marriage serves as both a mechanism of caste... more
This study is premised on analyzing the relationship between democracy and corruption, and how it shaped the Nigerian state. In the past studies on democracy and corruption, analyst in most models, assume a linear relationship, where the... more
Oligarki-politik Menurut salah seorang Filsuf Yunani Kuno, Aristoteles (384-322 SM), istilah oligarki menunjukkan pemerintahan dikendalikan oleh segelintir orang, muridnya Plato itu menggolongkan pemerintahan oligarki sebagai salah satu... more
The study evaluates the views of the public regarding the potential negative effects of escalating political tensions on the peaceful conduct of the Weija-Gbawe Constituency elections in 2024. A mixed-methods approach was used to... more
Standard political agency models generally predict an inverse relationship between the degree of partisan allegiance among citizens and political accountability. Does variation in voter attachments to political parties influence the... more
The study examined the impact of Anambra Government’s Grassroots Development Scheme on economic empowerment of community dwellers especially the youths and women, in all the local governments of Anambra state, in Southeastern Nigeria. The... more
Education is considered as the basic factor for women empowerment, success, growth and wellbeing. Discrimination of gender is well known and is prevalent in every society. Women are continuously discriminated and oppressed in all spheres... more
The South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) has a long and proud record as South Africa's premier research institute on international issues. It is an independent, non-government think-tank whose key strategic objectives... more
[Occassional Paper] Assam has over 100 years of struggle with the issue of illegal immigration and demographic changes through Muslim migration. This paper discusses the issue of longterm electoral integrity in Assam through strengthening... more
This study explored the use of persuasive language in the political campaign messages of John Dramani Mahama and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo during the 2012 presidential elections in Ghana. Utilizing a qualitative content analysis of... more
A large literature identifies perceptual differences between citizens that support winning parties versus losing parties. These analyses fail to capture the complexity of mixed member legi이ative systems where one can be a winner or loser... more
Artikel ini membahas kasus dugaan korupsi besar-besaran di PT Pertamina yang nilainya mencapai Rp 9.685 triliun, serta dampaknya terhadap pembentukan opini publik di Indonesia. Penelitian ini berfokus pada identifikasi modus operandi... more
The objective of the study was to determine the readability of the manifestos that three political parties, namely National Democratic Congress (NDC), New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Convention People’s Party (CPP), in Ghana used in the... more
Dr J Shola Omotola is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Redeemer’s University, Nigeria; a visiting member of the editorial board of The Guardian newspaper, Lagos, and author of the... more
The 2024 General Elections were held on December 7, 2024, encompassing all 23 constituencies within the Central Region. These elections marked a significant democratic process, aimed at determining representatives for both parliamentary... more
A special court chaired by Justice William Atuguba to adjudicate the 2012 presidential electoral dispute handed a landmark verdict to settle an electoral dispute between the New Patriotic Party, the National Democratic Party and its... more
Kata ideologi berasal dari bahasa Yunani, terdiri dari dua kata, idea dan lugas. Idea memiliki arti seperangkat gagasan atau pemikiran, sedangkan kata lugas artinya ilmu pengetahuan, secara harfiah ideologi itu ilmu untuk memahami... more
Few people know that Abdul Sattar Edhi, the renowned social worker, also tried his luck in the political field. This study draws attention to his activities in the political field. It uncovers the political style and ideologies of this... more
The Commission on Appointments (CA) plays a crucial role in ensuring that military appointments in the Philippines are based on merit and fitness rather than political considerations. This study examines CA deliberations from 1987 to... more
Debat ini bertujuan menyampaikan visi-misi dan menanggapi isu hukum, HAM, ekonomi, energi, sumber daya alam, pertahanan, serta topik lain yang relevan dengan masa depan Indonesia. Namun, semakin kompleks konteks debat, semakin besar... more
NativesoftheSubcontinentarecredulousbynature,whichprovidedthespiritualelitearichsoiltogrowtall.InPakistan,thestudyexaminestheinfluenceofspiritualelites,includingSajjadaNashinsandPirs,inpolitics,particularlyduringthe2018generalelectionsandth... more
This paper examines the evolving concept of "Gwajimanization" in Tanzanian political discourse, focusing on Bishop Dr.Josephat Gwajima's recent redefinition via his Instagram platform. While initially framed by President of Tanzania (H.E)... more
Allen Hicken-for their help in navigating the dark woods of my dissertation. They served as guiding lights throughout. In gratitude, I vow to emulate their dedication to me with respect to my own students. I thank Nene, the Cayton family,... more
South Korea’s presidential election outcome will significantly impact its foreign policy and U.S. strategic interests, with a potential Lee Jae-myung victory presenting strategic concerns. This analysis, while based on hypothetical... more
Politics as define by the former president Olusegun Obasanjo, is a do or die affairs, a notion which has been imbibed by the Nigerian politicians. However, this is a wrong notion and a faulty definition of politics. Nevertheless, Nigerian... more
The National Elections for 11th National Parliament for Papua New Guinea was held in 2022. The National Research Institute published the Elections Observation Report. Wilson Thompson Orlegge wrote on the Eastern Highlands Province, the... more
Jalan menuju Indonesia Maju perlu ditambal. Kedamaian dan ketenagan masih menghambat perjalanan. Situasi gaduh dan ulah para begal di tol Indonesia Maju kerap kali mucul. Dua kontraktor jalan menuju Indonesia Maju sudah dijaring KPK.... more
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