Partisan bias and redistricting in France

Decided by the executive, redistrictings in France have been claimed to have substantial partisan bias in favor of the right. We examine the evidence for this claim in terms of France's left bloc versus right bloc politics, combining information from both the first and the second round of Franc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Electoral studies 2016-12, Vol.44, p.388-396
Main Authors: Sauger, Nicolas, Grofman, Bernard
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Humanities and Social Sciences
Legislative elections (France -1988-2012)
Malaportionment
Partisan bias
Political science
Redistricting
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Summary:Decided by the executive, redistrictings in France have been claimed to have substantial partisan bias in favor of the right. We examine the evidence for this claim in terms of France's left bloc versus right bloc politics, combining information from both the first and the second round of France's two round electoral system. We also examine data at the constituency level to look at factors, such as malapportionment, that can affect bias. As France is characterized by a pattern of a limited number of redistrictings, population inequalities have grown in legislative constituencies between plans. Although the procedures used to draw constituency boundaries for the French Assembly are rather opaque, and under the control of political authorities, partisan bias appears as minuscule. •First extensive report about redistricting and partisan bias in France.•Malaportionment is shown to be substantial in France.•Despite political redistrictings, bias remains minuscule.•Politicization of the process in fact delays redistricting and thus fosters malapportionment.
ISSN:0261-3794
1873-6890
DOI:10.1016/j.electstud.2016.09.007