Loading…

Searching for electoral irregularities in an established democracy: Applying Benford’s Law tests to Bundestag elections in Unified Germany

This article investigates electoral irregularities in the 1990 to 2005 Bundestag elections of unified Germany. Drawing on the Second Digit Benford Law (2BL) by Mebane (2006), the analysis consists of comparing the observed frequencies of numerals of candidate votes and party votes at the precinct le...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Electoral studies 2011-09, Vol.30 (3), p.534-545
Main Authors: Breunig, Christian, Goerres, Achim
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
cited_by cdi_FETCH-LOGICAL-c428t-a1a6bdf6fd6733044d9ea2a5af258b03478cc501d565f36c66e6824f284f31b73
cites cdi_FETCH-LOGICAL-c428t-a1a6bdf6fd6733044d9ea2a5af258b03478cc501d565f36c66e6824f284f31b73
container_end_page 545
container_issue 3
container_start_page 534
container_title Electoral studies
container_volume 30
creator Breunig, Christian
Goerres, Achim
description This article investigates electoral irregularities in the 1990 to 2005 Bundestag elections of unified Germany. Drawing on the Second Digit Benford Law (2BL) by Mebane (2006), the analysis consists of comparing the observed frequencies of numerals of candidate votes and party votes at the precinct level against the expected frequencies according to Benford’s Law. Four central findings stand out. First, there is no evidence for systematic fraud or mismanagement with regard to candidate votes from districts where fraud would be most instrumental. Second, at the state level ( Bundesland), there are 51 violations in 190 tests of the party list votes. Third, East German states are not more prone to violations than Western ones. This finding refutes the notion that the East’s more recent transition to democracy poses problems in electoral management. Fourth, a strong variation in patterns of violation across Bundesländer exists: states with dominant party control are more likely to display irregularities. The article concludes by hypothesizing and exploring the notion that partisan composition of nominees involved in the counting may produce a higher likelihood of violation and be a cause of Länder variation. This may especially be the case when a party dominates in a Bundesland or opponents to the former socialist regime party are involved in the counting. ► We apply a Second Digit Benford Law test to post-unification German elections. ► Candidate votes do not display evidence for systematic fraud or mismanagement. ► We detect electoral irregularities at the state level.
doi_str_mv 10.1016/j.electstud.2011.03.005
format article
fullrecord <record><control><sourceid>proquest_cross</sourceid><recordid>TN_cdi_proquest_miscellaneous_914764745</recordid><sourceformat>XML</sourceformat><sourcesystem>PC</sourcesystem><els_id>S0261379411000370</els_id><sourcerecordid>914764745</sourcerecordid><originalsourceid>FETCH-LOGICAL-c428t-a1a6bdf6fd6733044d9ea2a5af258b03478cc501d565f36c66e6824f284f31b73</originalsourceid><addsrcrecordid>eNqFkcFuGyEQhlHVSHGdPEO49bRbWFjY7c2JkrSSpR4anxGGwcFagwu7jXzLA-QF8np9kuK46jWnufz_NzP6ELqipKaEii_bGgYwYx4nWzeE0pqwmpD2A5rRTrJKdD35iGakEbRisufn6FPOW0Jo0_d0hl5-gk7m0YcNdjHhN1RMesA-JdhMg05-9JCxD1gHDHnU68HnR7DYwi6apM3hK17s98PhiLiGUCj2z_Nrxkv9hMdSyHiM-HoK9ljenDb4GN6Qq-CdL6x7SDsdDhfozOkhw-W_OUeru9uHm2_V8sf995vFsjK86cZKUy3W1glnhWSMcG570I1utWvabk0Yl50xLaG2Fa1jwggBomu4azruGF1LNkefT9x9ir-mcpfa-WxgGHSAOGXVUy4Fl7x9N9n1knEieV-S8pQ0KeacwKl98judDooSdRSltuq_KHUUpQhTRVRpLk5NKC__9pBUNh6CAetTySsb_buMv_WVpFM</addsrcrecordid><sourcetype>Aggregation Database</sourcetype><iscdi>true</iscdi><recordtype>article</recordtype><pqid>897340749</pqid></control><display><type>article</type><title>Searching for electoral irregularities in an established democracy: Applying Benford’s Law tests to Bundestag elections in Unified Germany</title><source>International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS)</source><source>ScienceDirect Journals</source><source>Worldwide Political Science Abstracts</source><creator>Breunig, Christian ; Goerres, Achim</creator><creatorcontrib>Breunig, Christian ; Goerres, Achim</creatorcontrib><description>This article investigates electoral irregularities in the 1990 to 2005 Bundestag elections of unified Germany. Drawing on the Second Digit Benford Law (2BL) by Mebane (2006), the analysis consists of comparing the observed frequencies of numerals of candidate votes and party votes at the precinct level against the expected frequencies according to Benford’s Law. Four central findings stand out. First, there is no evidence for systematic fraud or mismanagement with regard to candidate votes from districts where fraud would be most instrumental. Second, at the state level ( Bundesland), there are 51 violations in 190 tests of the party list votes. Third, East German states are not more prone to violations than Western ones. This finding refutes the notion that the East’s more recent transition to democracy poses problems in electoral management. Fourth, a strong variation in patterns of violation across Bundesländer exists: states with dominant party control are more likely to display irregularities. The article concludes by hypothesizing and exploring the notion that partisan composition of nominees involved in the counting may produce a higher likelihood of violation and be a cause of Länder variation. This may especially be the case when a party dominates in a Bundesland or opponents to the former socialist regime party are involved in the counting. ► We apply a Second Digit Benford Law test to post-unification German elections. ► Candidate votes do not display evidence for systematic fraud or mismanagement. ► We detect electoral irregularities at the state level.</description><identifier>ISSN: 0261-3794</identifier><identifier>EISSN: 1873-6890</identifier><identifier>DOI: 10.1016/j.electstud.2011.03.005</identifier><language>eng</language><publisher>Elsevier Ltd</publisher><subject>Benford’s law ; Bundestag ; Democracy ; Elections ; Federal Republic of Germany ; Fraud ; German unification ; Germany ; Identity politics ; Law ; Lower chamber ; Partisanship ; Party systems ; Political Change ; Socialist Parties ; Voting Behavior</subject><ispartof>Electoral studies, 2011-09, Vol.30 (3), p.534-545</ispartof><rights>2011 Elsevier Ltd</rights><lds50>peer_reviewed</lds50><oa>free_for_read</oa><woscitedreferencessubscribed>false</woscitedreferencessubscribed><citedby>FETCH-LOGICAL-c428t-a1a6bdf6fd6733044d9ea2a5af258b03478cc501d565f36c66e6824f284f31b73</citedby><cites>FETCH-LOGICAL-c428t-a1a6bdf6fd6733044d9ea2a5af258b03478cc501d565f36c66e6824f284f31b73</cites></display><links><openurl>$$Topenurl_article</openurl><openurlfulltext>$$Topenurlfull_article</openurlfulltext><thumbnail>$$Tsyndetics_thumb_exl</thumbnail><link.rule.ids>314,780,784,27924,27925,33224</link.rule.ids></links><search><creatorcontrib>Breunig, Christian</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Goerres, Achim</creatorcontrib><title>Searching for electoral irregularities in an established democracy: Applying Benford’s Law tests to Bundestag elections in Unified Germany</title><title>Electoral studies</title><description>This article investigates electoral irregularities in the 1990 to 2005 Bundestag elections of unified Germany. Drawing on the Second Digit Benford Law (2BL) by Mebane (2006), the analysis consists of comparing the observed frequencies of numerals of candidate votes and party votes at the precinct level against the expected frequencies according to Benford’s Law. Four central findings stand out. First, there is no evidence for systematic fraud or mismanagement with regard to candidate votes from districts where fraud would be most instrumental. Second, at the state level ( Bundesland), there are 51 violations in 190 tests of the party list votes. Third, East German states are not more prone to violations than Western ones. This finding refutes the notion that the East’s more recent transition to democracy poses problems in electoral management. Fourth, a strong variation in patterns of violation across Bundesländer exists: states with dominant party control are more likely to display irregularities. The article concludes by hypothesizing and exploring the notion that partisan composition of nominees involved in the counting may produce a higher likelihood of violation and be a cause of Länder variation. This may especially be the case when a party dominates in a Bundesland or opponents to the former socialist regime party are involved in the counting. ► We apply a Second Digit Benford Law test to post-unification German elections. ► Candidate votes do not display evidence for systematic fraud or mismanagement. ► We detect electoral irregularities at the state level.</description><subject>Benford’s law</subject><subject>Bundestag</subject><subject>Democracy</subject><subject>Elections</subject><subject>Federal Republic of Germany</subject><subject>Fraud</subject><subject>German unification</subject><subject>Germany</subject><subject>Identity politics</subject><subject>Law</subject><subject>Lower chamber</subject><subject>Partisanship</subject><subject>Party systems</subject><subject>Political Change</subject><subject>Socialist Parties</subject><subject>Voting Behavior</subject><issn>0261-3794</issn><issn>1873-6890</issn><fulltext>true</fulltext><rsrctype>article</rsrctype><creationdate>2011</creationdate><recordtype>article</recordtype><sourceid>8BJ</sourceid><sourceid>7UB</sourceid><recordid>eNqFkcFuGyEQhlHVSHGdPEO49bRbWFjY7c2JkrSSpR4anxGGwcFagwu7jXzLA-QF8np9kuK46jWnufz_NzP6ELqipKaEii_bGgYwYx4nWzeE0pqwmpD2A5rRTrJKdD35iGakEbRisufn6FPOW0Jo0_d0hl5-gk7m0YcNdjHhN1RMesA-JdhMg05-9JCxD1gHDHnU68HnR7DYwi6apM3hK17s98PhiLiGUCj2z_Nrxkv9hMdSyHiM-HoK9ljenDb4GN6Qq-CdL6x7SDsdDhfozOkhw-W_OUeru9uHm2_V8sf995vFsjK86cZKUy3W1glnhWSMcG570I1utWvabk0Yl50xLaG2Fa1jwggBomu4azruGF1LNkefT9x9ir-mcpfa-WxgGHSAOGXVUy4Fl7x9N9n1knEieV-S8pQ0KeacwKl98judDooSdRSltuq_KHUUpQhTRVRpLk5NKC__9pBUNh6CAetTySsb_buMv_WVpFM</recordid><startdate>20110901</startdate><enddate>20110901</enddate><creator>Breunig, Christian</creator><creator>Goerres, Achim</creator><general>Elsevier Ltd</general><scope>AAYXX</scope><scope>CITATION</scope><scope>8BJ</scope><scope>FQK</scope><scope>JBE</scope><scope>7UB</scope></search><sort><creationdate>20110901</creationdate><title>Searching for electoral irregularities in an established democracy: Applying Benford’s Law tests to Bundestag elections in Unified Germany</title><author>Breunig, Christian ; Goerres, Achim</author></sort><facets><frbrtype>5</frbrtype><frbrgroupid>cdi_FETCH-LOGICAL-c428t-a1a6bdf6fd6733044d9ea2a5af258b03478cc501d565f36c66e6824f284f31b73</frbrgroupid><rsrctype>articles</rsrctype><prefilter>articles</prefilter><language>eng</language><creationdate>2011</creationdate><topic>Benford’s law</topic><topic>Bundestag</topic><topic>Democracy</topic><topic>Elections</topic><topic>Federal Republic of Germany</topic><topic>Fraud</topic><topic>German unification</topic><topic>Germany</topic><topic>Identity politics</topic><topic>Law</topic><topic>Lower chamber</topic><topic>Partisanship</topic><topic>Party systems</topic><topic>Political Change</topic><topic>Socialist Parties</topic><topic>Voting Behavior</topic><toplevel>peer_reviewed</toplevel><toplevel>online_resources</toplevel><creatorcontrib>Breunig, Christian</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Goerres, Achim</creatorcontrib><collection>CrossRef</collection><collection>International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS)</collection><collection>International Bibliography of the Social Sciences</collection><collection>International Bibliography of the Social Sciences</collection><collection>Worldwide Political Science Abstracts</collection><jtitle>Electoral studies</jtitle></facets><delivery><delcategory>Remote Search Resource</delcategory><fulltext>fulltext</fulltext></delivery><addata><au>Breunig, Christian</au><au>Goerres, Achim</au><format>journal</format><genre>article</genre><ristype>JOUR</ristype><atitle>Searching for electoral irregularities in an established democracy: Applying Benford’s Law tests to Bundestag elections in Unified Germany</atitle><jtitle>Electoral studies</jtitle><date>2011-09-01</date><risdate>2011</risdate><volume>30</volume><issue>3</issue><spage>534</spage><epage>545</epage><pages>534-545</pages><issn>0261-3794</issn><eissn>1873-6890</eissn><abstract>This article investigates electoral irregularities in the 1990 to 2005 Bundestag elections of unified Germany. Drawing on the Second Digit Benford Law (2BL) by Mebane (2006), the analysis consists of comparing the observed frequencies of numerals of candidate votes and party votes at the precinct level against the expected frequencies according to Benford’s Law. Four central findings stand out. First, there is no evidence for systematic fraud or mismanagement with regard to candidate votes from districts where fraud would be most instrumental. Second, at the state level ( Bundesland), there are 51 violations in 190 tests of the party list votes. Third, East German states are not more prone to violations than Western ones. This finding refutes the notion that the East’s more recent transition to democracy poses problems in electoral management. Fourth, a strong variation in patterns of violation across Bundesländer exists: states with dominant party control are more likely to display irregularities. The article concludes by hypothesizing and exploring the notion that partisan composition of nominees involved in the counting may produce a higher likelihood of violation and be a cause of Länder variation. This may especially be the case when a party dominates in a Bundesland or opponents to the former socialist regime party are involved in the counting. ► We apply a Second Digit Benford Law test to post-unification German elections. ► Candidate votes do not display evidence for systematic fraud or mismanagement. ► We detect electoral irregularities at the state level.</abstract><pub>Elsevier Ltd</pub><doi>10.1016/j.electstud.2011.03.005</doi><tpages>12</tpages><oa>free_for_read</oa></addata></record>
fulltext fulltext
identifier ISSN: 0261-3794
ispartof Electoral studies, 2011-09, Vol.30 (3), p.534-545
issn 0261-3794
1873-6890
language eng
recordid cdi_proquest_miscellaneous_914764745
source International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS); ScienceDirect Journals; Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
subjects Benford’s law
Bundestag
Democracy
Elections
Federal Republic of Germany
Fraud
German unification
Germany
Identity politics
Law
Lower chamber
Partisanship
Party systems
Political Change
Socialist Parties
Voting Behavior
title Searching for electoral irregularities in an established democracy: Applying Benford’s Law tests to Bundestag elections in Unified Germany
url http://sfxeu10.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/loughborough?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info:ofi/enc:UTF-8&ctx_tim=2024-12-23T03%3A26%3A37IST&url_ver=Z39.88-2004&url_ctx_fmt=infofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rfr_id=info:sid/primo.exlibrisgroup.com:primo3-Article-proquest_cross&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Searching%20for%20electoral%20irregularities%20in%20an%20established%20democracy:%20Applying%20Benford%E2%80%99s%20Law%20tests%20to%20Bundestag%20elections%20in%20Unified%20Germany&rft.jtitle=Electoral%20studies&rft.au=Breunig,%20Christian&rft.date=2011-09-01&rft.volume=30&rft.issue=3&rft.spage=534&rft.epage=545&rft.pages=534-545&rft.issn=0261-3794&rft.eissn=1873-6890&rft_id=info:doi/10.1016/j.electstud.2011.03.005&rft_dat=%3Cproquest_cross%3E914764745%3C/proquest_cross%3E%3Cgrp_id%3Ecdi_FETCH-LOGICAL-c428t-a1a6bdf6fd6733044d9ea2a5af258b03478cc501d565f36c66e6824f284f31b73%3C/grp_id%3E%3Coa%3E%3C/oa%3E%3Curl%3E%3C/url%3E&rft_id=info:oai/&rft_pqid=897340749&rft_id=info:pmid/&rfr_iscdi=true