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Courting but Not Always Serving: Perverted Burkeanism and the Puzzle of Irish Parliamentary Cohesion

David Farrell, Peter Mair, Sein Ó Muineacháin, Matthew Wall Orcid Logo

Parties and Party Systems: Structure and Context

Swansea University Author: Matthew Wall Orcid Logo

Abstract

This chapter takes up the puzzle of high levels of parliamentary cohesion in Irish legislative politics. This is a puzzle because the PR-STV electoral system in use in Ireland should create the conditions for frequent defections from the party whip, but this is not observed. Using two original datas...

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Published in: Parties and Party Systems: Structure and Context
Published: 2012
Online Access: http://www.amazon.ca/Parties-Party-Systems-Structure-Context/dp/0774829559
URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa23533
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Abstract: This chapter takes up the puzzle of high levels of parliamentary cohesion in Irish legislative politics. This is a puzzle because the PR-STV electoral system in use in Ireland should create the conditions for frequent defections from the party whip, but this is not observed. Using two original datasets - one capturing known instances of defection from the party whip in contemporary Irish political history and the other based on a survey of TDs - this chapter attempts to unpick the puzzle. We offer a novel theoretical interpretation, namely that Irish TDs are able to preserve constituency support through assiduous case work while progressing their careers in parliament through high levels of party loyalty, we label this the 'separate worlds' approach to understanding the puzzle.
College: Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences