Kavanagh, Adrian and Durkan, William and D'Arcy, Caoilfhionn (2021) Geographical Factors in Constituency Voting Patterns. In: How Ireland Voted 2020: The End of An Era. Palgrave MacMillan, London, pp. 197-217. ISBN 978-3-030-66405-3 (In Press)

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Abstract

This chapter focuses on geographical influences on voting behaviour at the 2020 general election. Geography intervenes at various stages and at various levels in electoral processes, perhaps especially in Ireland, given the high degree of localism that has been traditionally part and parcel of Irish politics. Geography shapes the candidate selection processes of political parties, as discussed in Chap. 3, and, in many cases, shapes the canvassing and vote management strategies employed by these parties, as well as inde- pendent candidates. Electoral boundaries again highlight the impact/ importance of geography, as these, in part, determine the efficiency by which different political parties translate their vote levels into seats, and changes in constituency boundaries can impact on the electoral prospects of political parties and—particularly—individual candidates. Studies of voting patterns for different parties and different candidates—both at the Dáil constituency level and at the sub-constituency level—show that high support levels may be clustered in certain areas for a variety of reasons, including demographic and socio-economic factors, as well as other, more locally focused, reasons. Finally, after the votes have been counted and a new government set in place, geographical factors may be taken into con- sideration when ministerial and especially junior ministerial positions are being allocated, while policy and spending decisions may also be framed by geographical variables.

Item Type:	Book Section
Keywords:	Geographical Factors; Constituency Voting Patterns;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Social Sciences > International Development
Item ID:	16784
Depositing User:	William Durkan
Date Deposited:	04 Jan 2023 12:08
Journal or Publication Title:	How Ireland Voted 2020: The End of An Era
Publisher:	Palgrave MacMillan
Refereed:	No
URI:	Publisher
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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