Kavanagh, Adrian, 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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Kavanagh
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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 |
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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 |
Related URLs: | |
URI: | https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/id/eprint/16784 |
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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