ELECTORAL SYSTEMS, PARTY COMPETITION, AND STRENGTH OF PARTISAN ATTACHMENT - EVIDENCE FROM 3 COUNTRIES

This article brings together the literatures on individual voting beha vior and on the effect of electoral systems. While most students of ta ctical voting stress the link between voter choice and electoral syste ms, we argue that electoral systems shape not just the incentives of v ote choice, but also have an impact on the deeper psychology of attach ment to political parties. We argue that party identification is haped not just by personal factors but also, and perhaps more importantly, by party and electoral systems. We present evidence from three countri es-Australia, Canada, and Germany-consistent with our argument.