1. DOMINANT INTEREST GROUPS AND POWERLESS PARTIES.
- Author
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Bernholz, Peter
- Subjects
- *
POLITICAL science , *VOTING - Abstract
There are situations in which implicit logrolling is possible among several issues. It has been shown by ANTHONY DOWNS that in such a situation the opposition party can always win elections in a two-party system by putting together in its platform alternatives out of these issues preferred by different minorities, provided the governing party has to announce its platform first. The political system is unstable, since the party in power will be beaten irrespective of the policies selected. It is proved in the paper that the system can be stabilized if some of the respective minorities form interest groups. In this case the parties' platforms have to follow the wishes of the interest groups favouring their members to the disadvantage of unorganised voters. Parties are powerless and the same platform will be selected as long as the parameters of the system are unchanged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1977
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