The relationship between position on an electoral list and chances of winning a seat in a representative body; experiences from the 2015 Sejm election in Poland Cover Image

The relationship between position on an electoral list and chances of winning a seat in a representative body; experiences from the 2015 Sejm election in Poland
The relationship between position on an electoral list and chances of winning a seat in a representative body; experiences from the 2015 Sejm election in Poland

Author(s): Marcin Rachwał
Subject(s): Public Administration, Public Law, Sociology, Electoral systems
Published by: Uniwersytet Adama Mickiewicza
Keywords: Elections; electoral system; electoral formula; Polish Parliament; “seat-winning places”

Summary/Abstract: This paper examines the relationship between the candidate’s position on an electoral list and the feasibility of winning a seat in the Sejm (the lower chamber of the Polish parliament). This research hypothesizes that winning a seat strongly depends on the candidate having a top position on the electoral list. This hypothesis is verified vis-à-vis the results of the 2015 election to the Sejm. The study confirmed the initial assumption, since it was found that nearly 82% of the seats were taken by the candidates from the so-called “seat-winning places,” namely the top places on the lists of candidates (the number of these places equals the number of seats taken by a given party in a given constituency).

  • Issue Year: 2018
  • Issue No: 3
  • Page Range: 135-143
  • Page Count: 10
  • Language: English