Why So Many Representatives? Extending the Cube Root Law to Local Assemblies

Benoît Le Maux () and Sonia Paty
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Benoît Le Maux: CREM - Centre de recherche en économie et management - UNICAEN - Université de Caen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université - UR - Université de Rennes - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

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Abstract: We investigate the impact of territorial fragmentation on political representation by applying Taagepera's cube root law to subnational governments. Our model reveals that the total number of local representatives is more elastic to changes in the number of jurisdictions (elasticity e = 2/3) than to variations in population size (e = 1/3), a relationship we refer to as the law of 2/3. As a result, political representation is amplified in fragmented areas. Empirical evidence from diverse datasets supports this new law.

Keywords: Representative Democracy; Decentralization; Local public sector; Cube Root Law (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024-10-14
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Working Paper: Why So Many Representatives? Extending the Cube Root Law to Local Assemblies (2024)
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