[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 :
37
Issue :
5
Pages :
1087-1107
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Funders :
F.R.S.-FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique [BE]
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