Determinanty rywalizacji wyborczej w lokalnych elekcjach samorządowych
The determinants of electoral competition in local government elections

Summary/Abstract: The paper attempts to present and explain the determinants of electoral competition and results, thereby influencing local political landscapes after the 2014 local government elections. The primary determinants analyzed in the paper include: (1) changes introduced to local government electoral law; (2) the socio-political situ-ation in Poland before the local government elections; and (3) the character of local political arenas. A study has been carried out which demonstrated that political parties have withdrawn from direct electoral competition at the local level. The municipali-ties examined evidence that numerous local government activists have perfected the skill of “political adaptation to evolving social sentiments. The changes introduced to the electoral law, in particular the implementation of the majority formula in the elections to municipal councils, have resulted in the following, among other things: (1) mayors and their direct political backgrounds have been additionally empowered 72Arkadiusz Ptak ŚSP 3 ’17in the local system; (2) election results have become disproportionate; (3) individuals lacking institutional political support have been scarcely interested in taking part in the electoral competition; and (4) councilors have focused on the matters of their own respective constituencies in their work. The most influential factor in local govern-ment elections and, thereby decisive in shaping the local system of power is the mayor (president of the town).The paper attempts to present and explain the determinants of electoral competition and results, thereby influencing local political landscapes after the 2014 local government elections. The primary determinants analyzed in the paper include: (1) changes introduced to local government electoral law; (2) the socio-political situation in Poland before the local government elections; and (3) the character of local political arenas. A study has been carried out which demonstrated that political parties have withdrawn from direct electoral competition at the local level. The municipalities examined evidence that numerous local government activists have perfected the skill of “political adaptation to evolving social sentiments. The changes introduced to the electoral law, in particular the implementation of the majority formula in the elections to municipal councils, have resulted in the following, among other things: (1) mayors and their direct political backgrounds have been additionally empowered in the local system; (2) election results have become disproportionate; (3) individuals lacking institutional political support have been scarcely interested in taking part in the electoral competition; and (4) councilors have focused on the matters of their own respective constituencies in their work. The most influential factor in local government elections and, thereby decisive in shaping the local system of power is the mayor (president of the town).

• Details
• Contents