Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Recent years have seen growing scholarly attention to the role of intra-coalition partisan change. Yet, Shomer et al. (2022) critiqued the common definition of government termination that regards any partisan change as a government termination, arguing that it inflates the number of governments and distorts scholarly understanding of government duration—particularly in certain countries. This research note examines whether, and to what extent, adopting Shomer et al.’s (2022) modified definition alters substantive conclusions about the determinants of government duration and stability. We follow their approach, redefining government termination based on: (1) a new prime minister, (2) an election, or (3) a crucial partisan loss that alters majority status. Using this revised definition and applying parametric event history models that incorporate established determinants of duration, we find evidence that the conventional measure can bias conclusions about what drives government stability, especially with regards to the impact of ENGP and parliamentary polarization.
Source: Party Politics
Authors: Yael Shomer, Osnat Akirav
Institutions: Tel Aviv University, Western Galilee College
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,650
Funders: Purdue University, Wayne State University, Harvard University, Helsingin Yliopisto, University of Rochester, Université du Luxembourg, University of Bern, University of Essex, Università degli Studi di Milano, Università degli Studi di Siena, Université de Lille, University College London, University of Oxford, Swansea University, University of Limerick, Universität Heidelberg, European University Institute, Universiteit Leiden, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Israel Science Foundation, KU Leuven, Universität Potsdam, Universitetet i Oslo, Háskóli Íslands, Göteborgs Universitet, Università di Bologna, Central European University, Université de Lausanne, Universität Mannheim, Universität Bremen, Universität zu Köln, Åbo Akademi, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Universität Konstanz, Universität Innsbruck, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung, Universität Greifswald, University of California, Riverside, Division of Chemistry
OpenAlex ID: W7140122469