Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Framing electoral reform in the 2011 UK Alternative Vote referendum campaign
AU - Lundberg, Thomas
AU - Steven, Martin
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - The 2011 British referendum on the electoral system offered voters a change within the majoritarian family from single-member plurality to the alternative vote. The alternative vote is not proportional, but the ‘yes’ campaign in the United Kingdom included small parties and ‘democracy sector’ organisations previously associated with advocating proportional representation. This anomalous behaviour can be explained by applying social movement theory, especially interpretations related to political opportunity structures and frame analysis. The Liberal Democrats, Electoral Reform Society and others had previously criticised the alternative vote, yet decided to campaign in favour of it. This led to an unclear framing of their objectives and, ultimately, their failure.
AB - The 2011 British referendum on the electoral system offered voters a change within the majoritarian family from single-member plurality to the alternative vote. The alternative vote is not proportional, but the ‘yes’ campaign in the United Kingdom included small parties and ‘democracy sector’ organisations previously associated with advocating proportional representation. This anomalous behaviour can be explained by applying social movement theory, especially interpretations related to political opportunity structures and frame analysis. The Liberal Democrats, Electoral Reform Society and others had previously criticised the alternative vote, yet decided to campaign in favour of it. This led to an unclear framing of their objectives and, ultimately, their failure.
KW - alternative vote
KW - electoral systems
KW - referenda
KW - United Kingdom
U2 - 10.1080/10361146.2012.758230
DO - 10.1080/10361146.2012.758230
M3 - Journal article
VL - 48
SP - 15
EP - 27
JO - Australian Journal of Political Science
JF - Australian Journal of Political Science
SN - 1036-1146
IS - 1
ER -