DEMOKRACJA LOKALNA A REGUŁY WYBORÓW
LOCAL DEMOCRACY AND ELECTORAL RULES

Summary/Abstract: The impact of rules applied to elections to regional and local authorities for the quality of regional and local democracy is studied in this article. The author applies Joseph Schumpeter’s concept of procedural democracy, developed further by Robert Dahl, to the regional and local democracy and examines to what extent the institutions of the Polish electoral law foster complying with the specific conditions of polyarchy. In particular, the likely consequences of the changes in electoral law of January 2018 are debated. Author concludes that there are many regulations embedded in the Polish local elections law that influence in a negative way the quality of the local democracy. The January amendment to the local elections law only aggravates the existing laws, the exception being limiting the number of terms of office for village and city mayors and presidents. This particular provision may counteract hyper-residentialism effects which is a common phenomenon in Polish local self-governing institutions.

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