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Electoral Preferences in Irish Recruitment: the 1977 Election *
Author(s) -
MARSH MICHAEL
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
european journal of political research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.267
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1475-6765
pISSN - 0304-4130
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-6765.1981.tb00589.x
Subject(s) - irish , legislator , ballot , legislature , voting , politics , political science , government (linguistics) , general election , position (finance) , order (exchange) , servant , public administration , political economy , law , economics , finance , legislation , philosophy , linguistics , computer science , programming language
This study examines some of the implications of the use of the Single Transferable Vote for legislative recruitment in Ireland. Candidates and deputies are contrasted on a number of characteristics to see the impact of the ‘electoral phase’ on recruitment. Voting patterns are then analysed in order to assess the role that electors’ preferences between candidates can play. Generally, it appears that preferences are determined more by candidates’ political record than by their social background or position on the ballot paper. This is consistent with a view of the Irish deputy as a constituency‐servant rather than a legislator or simple instrument of party government, although cultural as well as constitutional factors may be responsible for this role.