Electoral Systems, Regional Resentment and the Surprising Success of Anglo-American Populism

Jason S Spicer

Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, 2018, vol. 11, issue 1, 115-141

Abstract: As populist movements, partly fuelled by voters in excluded regions, drive national electoral backlashes to globalisation, why have their only outright successes come in the USA and UK? Synthesising urban/regional development theory with comparative politics, this article examines a previously unconsidered contributing factor: the interaction of globalisation’s rising inter-regional disparities with majoritarian electoral systems. Majoritarianism’s distinct internal dynamics and imperfect representation mechanisms yield insufficient state responses to rising inter-regional inequality, stoking populist discontent. Global integration may thus be less stable today under majoritarian than proportional electoral rules. This has implications for urban/regional development scholarship, globalisation’s durability and electoral reform.

Keywords: political economy; comparative politics; electoral systems; urban and regional development; regional inequality; populism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (14)

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Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society is currently edited by Judith Clifton, Anna Davies, Betsy Donald, Emil Evenhuis, Stefania Fiorentino (Associate Editor), Harry Garretsen, Meric Gertler, Amy Glasmeier, Mia Gray, Robert Hassink, Dieter Kogler, Michael Kitson, Linda Lobao, Charles van Marrewijk, Ron Martin, Peter Sunley, Peter Tyler and Chun Yang

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