ARTICLE IN PRESS
+ MODEL
Electoral Studies xx (2005) 1e17 www.elsevier.com/locate/electstud
Political knowledge about electoral rules: Comparing mixed member proportional systems in Germany and New Zealand
Jeffrey A. Karp a,b,
a Department of Political Science, Texas Tech University, 113 Holden Hall, Lubbock, TX 79409-1015, USA b Department of Political Science, University of Twente, Capitool 15, 7500AE, Enschede, The Netherlands
Abstract
Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) electoral systems are considered by some to be ‘‘the best of both worlds’’ because they combine single member district representation with proportional outcomes. Critics, however, maintain that such systems cause voter confusion leading some voters to cast misinformed votes. Survey data from Germany and New Zealand are used to investigate voter’s political knowledge of the electoral system and their voting behavior. The findings suggest that knowledge about the electoral system is similar in New Zealand and in Germany. Although some may very well find the system complex, there is no evidence to suggest that a lack of knowledge about the electoral system influences voting behavior. The results undermine the claims made by skeptics who fear that misunderstanding threatens the legitimacy of electoral outcomes. Ó 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Mixed systems; Political knowledge; Voting behavior; Split voting
1. Introduction
Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) electoral systems are considered by some to be ‘‘the best of both worlds’’ because they combine single member district representation with