Incumbency advantage and candidate characteristics in open-list proportional representation systems: Evidence from Indonesia

Author

Sebastian Carl DETTMAN, Singapore Management UniversityFollow
Thomas B. PEPINSKY
Jan H. PIERSKALLA

Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

acceptedVersion

Publication Date

8-2017

Abstract

We use evidence from Indonesia's April 2014 legislative elections to study the relationship between incumbency, list position, candidate characteristics, and electoral success in open-list PR systems. Contrary to a recent literature identifying an incumbency disadvantage in other large developing democracies, we identify a consistent personal incumbency advantage in Indonesia. However, we argue that this advantage is mediated by party choices over how incumbents and newcomers are ranked on party lists, a key heuristic for voters in low-information electoral environments such as Indonesia.

Keywords

Candidate characteristics, Incumbency advantage, Indonesia, Open list proportional representation

Discipline

Asian Studies | Political Science

Research Areas

Political Science

Publication

Electoral Studies

Volume

48

First Page

111

Last Page

120

ISSN

0261-3794

Identifier

10.1016/j.electstud.2017.06.002

Publisher

Elsevier

Citation

DETTMAN, Sebastian Carl, PEPINSKY, Thomas B., & PIERSKALLA, Jan H..(2017). Incumbency advantage and candidate characteristics in open-list proportional representation systems: Evidence from Indonesia. Electoral Studies, 48, 111-120.

Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/3124

Copyright Owner and License

Authors

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electstud.2017.06.002