TY - JOUR
T1 - Fighting over friends and neighbors
T2 - The effect of inter-candidate geographic distance on intra-party competition.
AU - PUT, Gert-Jan
AU - von Schoultz, Asa
AU - Isotalo, Veikko
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Academy of Finland (Grant number 316239); the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) (Mobility Grant K200919N); Academische Stichting Leuven (Mobility Grant 2018/203) and the Belgian National Scientific Research Fund (F.R.S.-FNRS) (Credit number: 1.B.322.19).
Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Academy of Finland (Grant number 316239 ); the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) (Mobility Grant K200919N ); Academische Stichting Leuven (Mobility Grant 2018/203 ) and the Belgian National Scientific Research Fund (F.R.S.-FNRS) (Credit number: 1.B.322.19 ).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2020/8
Y1 - 2020/8
N2 - Previous studies on intra-party competition have largely neglected the role played by geographic distance between co-partisan candidates. In this study, we argue that candidates who live further away from intra-party competitors on the same party list benefit electorally from their remoteness. Moreover, we contend thatthe electoral effectiveness of exhibiting local personal vote attributes –a theoretically and empirically well-established candidate strategy to cultivate personal votes –also depends on the geographical proximity of localized co-partisan candidates. Using a unique and untapped dataset of more than 5,000 Finnish election candidates’ home address coordinates over four consecutive parliamentary elections (1999–2011), we run beta regression models to examine the effects of candidate remoteness and nearest candidates’ local characteristics on intra-party vote shares. To measure the remoteness of a particular candidate, we develop a novel index based on the distribution of co-partisans over concentric circles around that candidate. The empirical analyses showthatthe effect of geographic remoteness depends on local party strength and the degree of urbanization: candidates particularly benefit from more distant co-partisans in party strongholds and rural and suburban municipalities. Moreover, all models confirmthat nearby located localized co-partisans decrease a candidate’s own vote share.These findings have important implications for politicians’ careers, party nomination strategies and future empirical research on intra-party competition.
AB - Previous studies on intra-party competition have largely neglected the role played by geographic distance between co-partisan candidates. In this study, we argue that candidates who live further away from intra-party competitors on the same party list benefit electorally from their remoteness. Moreover, we contend thatthe electoral effectiveness of exhibiting local personal vote attributes –a theoretically and empirically well-established candidate strategy to cultivate personal votes –also depends on the geographical proximity of localized co-partisan candidates. Using a unique and untapped dataset of more than 5,000 Finnish election candidates’ home address coordinates over four consecutive parliamentary elections (1999–2011), we run beta regression models to examine the effects of candidate remoteness and nearest candidates’ local characteristics on intra-party vote shares. To measure the remoteness of a particular candidate, we develop a novel index based on the distribution of co-partisans over concentric circles around that candidate. The empirical analyses showthatthe effect of geographic remoteness depends on local party strength and the degree of urbanization: candidates particularly benefit from more distant co-partisans in party strongholds and rural and suburban municipalities. Moreover, all models confirmthat nearby located localized co-partisans decrease a candidate’s own vote share.These findings have important implications for politicians’ careers, party nomination strategies and future empirical research on intra-party competition.
KW - Finland
KW - Inter-candidate geographic distance
KW - Intra-party competition
KW - PVEA
KW - Party nomination strategies
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85085118925&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.polgeo.2020.102219
DO - 10.1016/j.polgeo.2020.102219
M3 - Article
SN - 1873-5096
VL - 81
JO - Political Geography
JF - Political Geography
M1 - 102219
ER -