Problem:
According to the literature, the ballot structure can shape elites' behavior and the strength of political parties. What did you learn about open-list proportional representation (OLPR) elections in some Latin American countries such as Brazil? Need Assignment Help?
Question Answer a. As candidates within the party (co-partisans) must compete for votes in the same district, OLPR systems annihilate parties' ability to control the behavior of their members in parliament and limit the competition among co-partisans during elections. b. Comparativists often assume that OLPR systems weaken parties because candidates need to cultivate a personal reputation. Yet, more recent empirical studies demonstrate that parties can induce party discipline in the legislature but cannot limit intra-party competition during elections. c. Compared to closed-list proportional representation (CLPR) elections, OLPR systems are more flexible and increase a party's capacity to select candidates aligned with the ideology of the party leaders. d. Comparativists often assume that OLPR systems weaken parties because candidates need to cultivate personal reputations. Yet, more recent empirical studies show that parties can demand discipline in the legislature and coordinate competition with their lists of candidates.