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The Effect of Dual Candidacy on Voting Decisions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 October 2006

YOICHI HIZEN
YOICHI HIZEN
Affiliation:
Hokkaido University, North 9, West 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0809 JAPANhizen@econ.hokudai.ac.jp
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Abstract

This article conducts a decision theoretic analysis of the effect of dual candidacy on voting decisions in the Japanese variant of the mixed electoral system, where each candidate can run in both a single-member district (SMD) and a proportional representation (PR) block, and dual candidates can be ranked either individually or equally in parties' PR lists: their post-election ranking is determined by their SMD votes. The model shows that dual candidacy differentiates the mixed system from merely the simultaneous use of the SMD and PR systems. That is, if an SMD candidate also runs in the PR block, it lowers voters' utility increment obtained by casting their SMD votes for him. If he is ranked equally in the PR list, however, SMD votes for him may help him win a PR seat against other equally ranked dual candidates, which enables dual candidacy accompanied by equal ranking to attract more SMD votes.

Type
Research Article
Information
Japanese Journal of Political Science , Volume 7 , Issue 3 , December 2006 , pp. 289 - 306
Copyright
© 2006 Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

The idea underlying this paper is based on the third chapter of my dissertation. I am grateful to my dissertation adviser Antonio Merlo and my dissertation committee members Hulya Eraslan and Nicola Persico for their encouragement and useful comments. I would also like to thank Takanori Adachi, Kwang-ho Kim, Ryo Okui and Yasutora Watanabe for their helpful discussions, and the referees for their useful comments. I am solely responsible for any remaining error.