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The Electoral Cycle and Institutional Sources of Divided Presidential Government

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 1995

Matthew Soberg Shugart
Matthew Soberg Shugart*
Affiliation:
University of California, San Diego
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Abstract

Presidents often lack legislative majorities, but situations of opposition-party majorities (“divided government”) are much less common outside the United States. The president's party's share of seats tends to increase in early-term elections but decline in later elections. Thus opposition majorities often result after midterm elections. Opposition majorities rarely occur in elections held concurrently with the presidential election but are more likely to do so if legislators enjoy electoral independence from their parties due to features of electoral laws.

Type
Research Article
Information
American Political Science Review , Volume 89 , Issue 2 , June 1995 , pp. 327 - 343
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 1995

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