About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline

30 Const. Pol. Econ. 1 (2019)

handle is hein.journals/constpe30 and id is 1 raw text is: Constitutional Political Economy (2019) 30:1-30
https://doi.org/1 0.1007/s10602-019-09274-6
ORIGINAL PAPER
Electoral systems and the economy: a firm-level analysis
Isa Camyarl - Bahar Ulupinar2
Published online: 22 January 2019
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2019
Abstract
Prior research presents mixed results for electoral impact on economic performance,
thereby raising the question of whether electoral systems matter economically at
all. We argue that electoral systems can conceivably generate a robust economic
impact at the firm level. This argument is grounded in a recent scholarship on the
political economy of corporate governance. Analysts discern electoral systems as
a significant determinant of a country's corporate governance regime and its two
central components: investor and employment protection. Building on a wealth of
research relating investor and employment protection to firms' economic behavior,
we develop the hypothesis that firm performance is stronger under plurality-major-
itarian rules than under proportional rules. Our panel study of firms in 21 advanced
democracies from 1989 to 2007 supports our hypothesis. Overall, this research helps
to fill in an important gap in understanding of why it matters to choose one electoral
system over another.
Keywords Political economy - Institutions - Corporate governance - Firms-
Economic performance
JEL Classification G30 -G38
1 Introduction
Electoral systems are a central feature of modern democratic constitution. But, does
the choice of electoral systems make a difference in economic outcomes? The nas-
cent literature on this question yields mixed results, thereby generating considerable
E Isa Camyar
icamyar@sfc.edu
Bahar Ulupinar
bulupinar@wcupa.edu
Political Science, St. Francis College, 180 Remsen Street, Brooklyn, NY, USA
2  Economics and Finance, West Chester University of Pennsylvania, 304 Anderson Hall,
West Chester, PA, USA

I_) Springer

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

profiles profiles most