Year: 2021
Type: article
Abstract: Relying on a dataset covering mayoral elections in Poland held over the period 2006–2018, we contribute to the ongoing debate on the anomalous sources of advantage enjoyed by certain candidates contesting close electoral races. While our analysis lends support to earlier conjectures that such anomalies tend to be confined to small jurisdictions, we also point to context-specific clientelistic strategies behind the anomalous advantage. The last is driven largely by an experience of holding a mayoral office in the 1990s, an era when Polish mayors were elected by local councils rather than directly by citizens. When interpreting these findings, we emphasize fundamental characteristics of post-transition Polish local democracy, including feudal legacy, pauperization of the electorate and decentralization of public spending.
Institutions: University of Białystok, University of Warsaw
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $2,890
Award: G8429199481
OpenAlex ID: W3198326902