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²⁰ The real explanation for the evident contrast between reform periods lies, I believe, in the sheer size and expansion of the electorate. After each expansion of the electorate, the optimal electoral strategies for candidates shifted further and further from the politics of bribery, personal influence and patronage, towards the politics of mass appeals based on policy commitments. Concomitantly, the flow of essentially free information available to voters about the personal characteristics and intentions of candidates dwindled. It became rational for voters to use simple cues in the form of party labels when voting, and for candidates to identify themselves with such labels. I intend to pursue this line of reasoning in future research.

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