Sarah Shair-Rosenfield on 'Effects of electoral reform on democratization in Indonesia' (11/03/2014)
Channel: Electoral Integrity Project
Date: 2014-03-11

Dr. Sarah Shair-Rosenfield discusses how inter- and intra-party electoral reform effects democratization in Indonesia and globally.

Download the paper at: http://bit.ly/1gmezTB

-----
How do changes in electoral rules affect political representation and the trajectory of democratization? This paper adopts the perspective that reforms to the electoral system are key mechanisms through which improved representation and democratic consolidation can take place. It argues for consideration of a broad view of elite motivations that includes the long-term consequences of political representation, such as the trade-offs between short-term seat gains versus medium- and long-term system stability or credibility with voters. It also considers the effects of gradual reform processes in which multiple rounds of reform may seek to re-adjust or correct the outcomes of previous reform choices. Using a global sample of cases of reform between 1970 and 2010, preliminary findings suggest that while combinations of inter- and intra-party reform are likely to positively affect democratization, individual inter- and intra-party reforms typically have a negative effect. These relationships are further emphasized by iterated processes in a subsample of the cases. Finally, some of these mechanisms are more closely investigated by focusing on the iterated reforms of the Indonesian case from 1999 to 2014.


-----
The Electoral Integrity Project is an independent research team based at the University of Sydney and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. It explores many issues, focusing upon three main questions: 

- When do elections meet international standards of electoral integrity? 
- What happens when elections fail to do so? 
- And what can be done to mitigate these problems? 

For more information see: www.electoralintegrityproject.com