Susan Banducci | University of Exeter (original) (raw)

Papers by Susan Banducci

... Reviewing MMP 175 Jack Vowles, Jeffrey Karp, Susan Banducci, Peter Aimer, Raymond Miller Appe... more ... Reviewing MMP 175 Jack Vowles, Jeffrey Karp, Susan Banducci, Peter Aimer, Raymond Miller Appendixes A. The New Zealand Election Study 192 B ... The rivalry between Jenny Shipley, the incumbent, and Helen Clark, the challenger, attracted international attention. ...

Australian Journal of Political Science, 1999

Theories of voter turnout assume that institutional arrangements can alter incentives for partici... more Theories of voter turnout assume that institutional arrangements can alter incentives for participation. Countries with proportional representation (PR) are assumed to increase the incentives to participate because they reduce the proportion of votes that are wasted, giving voters a stronger incentive to participate and parties a stronger incentive to mobilise voters. This paper departs from previous cross-national studies by employing individual-le vel data during a transition between electoral systems in one country. We used survey data collected before and after electoral reform in New Zealand to examine patterns of participation among political minorities. As a direct test of individual change, the analysis was supplem ented with survey data from the last election held under ® rst past the post (FPP) merged with validated participation data from the following election held under PR. We found that the adoption of PR in New Zealand has succeeded initially in fostering more positive attitudes about the ef® cacy of voting. In New Zealand' s ® rst election held under PR, voters who were on the extreme left were signi® cantly more likely to participate than previously, leading to an overall increase in turnout.

British Journal of Political Science, 2008

Page 1. BJPol.S. 38, 91112 Copyright © 2007 Cambridge University Press doi:10.1017/S000712340800... more Page 1. BJPol.S. 38, 91112 Copyright © 2007 Cambridge University Press doi:10.1017/S0007123408000057 Printed in the United Kingdom Getting Out the Vote: Party Mobilization in a Comparative Perspective JEFFREY ...

CiteSeerX - Document Details (Isaac Councill, Lee Giles): : Advocates of proportional representat... more CiteSeerX - Document Details (Isaac Councill, Lee Giles): : Advocates of proportional representation (PR) often cite its potential for increasing citizen involvement in politics as one of PR's fundamental advantages over plurality or first past the post (FPP) systems. Electoral ...

American Politics Research, 1994

Journal of European Public Policy, 2009

Although economic theories have been advanced to explain public support for the common currency, ... more Although economic theories have been advanced to explain public support for the common currency, we know very little about how public support for the euro has been affected by its economic impact. We hypothesize that concern about rising prices following the introduction of the euro may have dampened enthusiasm for the project. We use Eurobarometer data from 2000 -2007 to examine how rising prices and other economic factors have shaped support for the euro. We find that while inflation has had a negative impact on support for the euro, this is offset by the positive effect of diffuse support for the European Union. This support, along with the impact of a strong currency, has led most (approximately two-thirds) of Europeans to be generally positive about the euro.

Voters are often faced with the task of choosing among unknown candidates in low information elec... more Voters are often faced with the task of choosing among unknown candidates in low information elections. In this paper we test how candidate appearance cues (such as race or ethnicity, gender and attractiveness) can be used by voters by examining a set of elections where candidate photographs were displayed on the ballot.

In low-information elections, voters are often faced with the task of choosing from a list of unk... more In low-information elections, voters are often faced with the task of choosing from a list of unknown candidates. By examining a set of low-information elections where candidate photographs were displayed on the ballot, we test how first impressions of candidates can influence election outcomes. We find that attractive candidates are more likely to be attributed the qualities associated with successful politicians and these trait inferences, based on facial appearances, influence the outcomes of elections. We also find that these trait inferences are based on physical characteristics of the candidates, such as age, race and ethnicity, evident from a photograph. Therefore, first impressions can be important determinants of election outcomes, especially in low-information elections.

Electoral Studies, 1999

PR systems often are credited with producing more equitable outcomes between political parties an... more PR systems often are credited with producing more equitable outcomes between political parties and encouraging wider social group representation than majoritarian systems. Theory suggests that this should instill greater trust, efficacy, and faith in the political system. We assume that citizens disadvantaged by majoritarian rules (political minorities) will have a relatively greater shift toward positive attitudes about democracy following a transition from a majoritarian system to proportional representation. We employ panel data from the 1993-1996 New Zealand Election Study (NZES) to test hypotheses about the effects of electoral system change on attitudes about governmental responsiveness, trust in government, and political efficacy. We find that there is a general shift in mass opinion toward more positive attitudes on some measures of efficacy and responsiveness. Political minorities display a greater shift toward feelings of efficacy than other voters.

Journal of Politics, 2004

This paper explores the causes and consequences of evaluations of the political system and suppor... more This paper explores the causes and consequences of evaluations of the political system and support for electoral system change. In 1993, New Zealand voters adopted a referendum that fundamentally changed the way representatives are elected, moving from a plurality to a proportional (PR) electoral system. We examine the role of cynicism about the political system in adopting PR and how electoral change may shape evaluations of the political system. We expect that political minorities and those dissatisfied with the current performance of government are more likely to be cynical about the fairness of the political process and that these evaluations are related to support for PR. In turn, supporters of the referendum should judge the political system more favorably once the reform is implemented. Using panel data from the 1993 and 1996 New Zealand Election Studies, we find that support for PR is based on more general evaluations of the fairness of the political system and partisan selfinterest. Those who supported PR and are politically aware are also more likely to have an increase in favorable evaluations of the political system.

European Union Politics, 2006

A B S T R A C T This article analyses the news coverage of the 2004 European parliamentary electi... more A B S T R A C T This article analyses the news coverage of the 2004 European parliamentary elections in all 25 member states of the European Union (EU). It provides a unique pan-European overview of the campaign coverage based on an analysis of three national newspapers and two television newscasts in the two weeks leading up to the elections. On average, the elections were more visible in the 10 new member states than in the 15 old EU member states. The political personalities and institutional actors featured in news stories about the elections were generally national political actors and not EU actors. When evaluative, the news in the old EU-15 was generally negative towards the EU, whereas in the new countries a mixed pattern was found. The findings of the study are discussed in the light of the literature on the EU's legitimacy and communication deficit. 4 7 7

We examine the question of whether or not reducing the costs of voting by conducting elections en... more We examine the question of whether or not reducing the costs of voting by conducting elections entirely through the mail rather than at the traditional polling place increases participation. Using election data from Oregon, we examine whether or not elections conducted through the mail increase turnout in both local and statewide elections. Using precinct-level data merged with census data we also examine how postal voting may alter the composition of the electorate. We find that, while all-mail elections tend to produce higher turnout, the most significant increases occur in low stimulus elections, such as local elections or primaries where turnout is usually low. The increase in turnout, however, is not uniform across demographic groups. Voting only by mail is likely to increase turnout among those who are already predisposed to vote, such as those with higher socioeconomic status. Like other administrative reforms designed to make voting easier, postal voting has the potential to increase turnout. However, the expanded pool of voters will be limited most likely to those already inclined to vote but find it inconvenient to go to the polling place. This conclusion is consistent with the growing body of research that suggests that relaxing administrative requirements is not likely to be the panacea for low turnout among the disenfranchised.

Electoral Studies, 2002

Recent research on voting in Germany's mixed electoral system suggests that split voting has more... more Recent research on voting in Germany's mixed electoral system suggests that split voting has more to do with voter confusion than sophistication, although this remains a matter of debate. We examine this question in the context of New Zealand's new mixed system, which is modeled after Germany's. We focus on alternative explanations for split voting. One is derived from theories of strategic voting, which hypothesizes that voters will split their votes when their preferred party's candidate is not viable in single member district (SMD) contests. We also consider the influence of party attachments and candidate preference. We examine these explanations using both aggregate and individual level data. The assumption that split voting in mixed systems is largely due to confusion is not supported in New Zealand as split voters cast votes in predictable patterns. In particular, we find that strategic defections are more likely to occur when the preferred candidate is not viable. Those with higher levels of political knowledge are more likely to defect from nonviable candidates. Partisan attachments and candidate effects also help to explain split voting. 

Comparative Political Studies, 2003

Recent reforms have been designed to enhance the power of the European Parliament to counter crit... more Recent reforms have been designed to enhance the power of the European Parliament to counter criticisms of a "democratic deficit" in the European Union (EU). We examine how citizens now view these institutions and whether such evaluations influence their satisfaction with the way democracy works in the EU. Previous research has maintained that evaluations of the quality of democracy are difficult to assess because opinions about the EU largely reflect opinions about national institutions. Our results indicate that this is not necessarily the case, particularly among those who are politically aware. Those with high levels of political knowledge rely more heavily on evaluations of EU institutions when assessing democracy in the EU. We also find evidence that evaluations of democratic performance in the EU are motivated by the economic benefits and costs associated with membership. The implications for the democratic deficit and the satisfaction with democracy measure are discussed.