Mapping Patterns and Trends in Uncontested Elections Research (1965–2024)


Abstract


This article explores patterns and trends in 111 prior studies regarding uncontested elections and their implications for the quality of democracy from 1965 to 2024 in the Scopus database. Since the first article was published in 1965, the topic has attracted noteworthy academic attention, especially in the last decade. Although the number of publications yearly fluctuates, scholarly interest remains consistent, with an average of 40.94 citations per document. Most research comes from the United States, but contributions from other countries such as Canada, Japan, and Germany are also remarkable. In sum, I provide a comprehensive insight into the development of uncontested elections, the significant contributions of various authors, and the thematic trends that have developed over time. 44 questions identified as future research directions open opportunities for further exploration to understand the factors supporting or hindering competitive elections.

Keywords: Bibliometrix; Democracy; Elections; Uncontested; VOSviewer

References


Abramowitz, A. I. (1991). Incumbency, Campaign Spending, and the Decline of Competition in U.S. House Elections. The Journal of Politics, 53(1), 34-56. https://doi.org/10.2307/2131719

Adams, J., Brunell, T. L., Grofman, B., & Merrill III, S. (2010). Why Candidate Divergence Should Be Expected to Be Just as Great (or Even Greater) in Competitive Seats as in Non-Competitive Ones. Public Choice, 145(3), 417-433. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11127-009-9573-1

Alexander, D. (2021). Uncontested Incumbents and Incumbent Upsets. Games and Economic Behavior, 126, 163-185. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geb.2020.11.007

Ansolabehere, S., Hansen, J. M., Hirano, S., & Snyder, J. M. (2010). More Democracy: The Direct Primary and Competition in U.S. Elections. Studies in American Political Development, 24(2), 190-205. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0898588X10000064

Aria, M., & Cuccurullo, C. (2017). bibliometrix: An R-tool for comprehensive science mapping analysis. Journal of Informetrics, 11(4), 959-975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2017.08.007

Bahoo, S. (2020). Corruption in Banks: A Bibliometric Review and Agenda. Finance Research Letters, 35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.frl.2020.101499

Bahoo, S., Alon, I., & Floreani, J. (2021). Corruption in Economics: A Bibliometric Analysis and Research Agenda. Applied Economics Letters, 28(7), 565-578. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504851.2020.1764476

Beaulieu, E. (2014). From Voter ID to Party ID: How Political Parties Affect Perceptions of Election Fraud in the U.S. Electoral Studies, 35, 24-32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electstud.2014.03.003

Beetham, D. (2005). Democracy. Oneworld.

Besley, T., Persson, T., & Sturm, D. M. (2010). Political Competition, Policy and Growth: Theory and Evidence from the US. Review of Economic Studies, 77(4), 1329-352. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-937X.2010.00606.x

Boix, C. (1999). Democracy and redistribution. Cambridge University Press.

Brunell, T. L., Grofman, B., & Merrill III, S. (2012). Magnitude and Durability of Electoral Change: Identifying Critical Elections in the U.S. Congress 1854–2010. Electoral Studies, 31(4), 816-828. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electstud.2012.06.002

Buchler, J. (2007). The Social Sub-Optimality of Competitive Elections. Public Choice, 133(3-4), 439-456. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11127-007-9207-4

Caramani, D. (2003). The End of Silent Elections: The Birth of Electoral Competition, 1832-1915. Party Politics, 9(4), 411-443. https://doi.org/10.1177/135406880394001

Carey, J. M. (2018). Electoral system design in new democracies. In E. S. Herron, R. J. Pekkanen, & M. S. Shugart (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of electoral systems (pp. 85-112). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190258658.013.6

Carson, J. L., Engstrom, E. J., & Roberts, J. M. (2007). Candidate Quality, the Personal Vote, and the Incumbency Advantage in Congress. American Political Science Review, 101(2), 289-301. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0003055407070311

Clawson, R. A., & Oxley, Z. M. (2020). Public opinion: Democratic ideals, democratic practice. CQ Press.

Coats, R. M., & Dalton, T. R. (1992). Entry Barriers in Politics and Uncontested Elections. Journal of Public Economics, 49(1), 75-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/0047-2727(92)90064-M

Cox, G. W. (1997). Making votes count: Strategic coordination in the world’s electoral systems. Cambridge University Press.

Cox, G. W., Fiva, J. H., & Smith, D. M. (2020). Measuring the Competitiveness of Elections. Political Analysis, 28(1), 168-185. https://doi.org/10.1017/pan.2019.28

Crutzen, B. S. Y., & Sahuguet, N. (2018). Uncontested Primaries: Causes and Consequences. Quarterly Journal of Political Science, 13(4), 427-462. https://doi.org/10.1561/100.00017133

Curto-Grau, M., Solé-Ollé, A., & Sorribas-Navarro, P. (2018). Does Electoral Competition Curb Party Favoritism? American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 10(4), 378-407. https://doi.org/10.1257/app.20160618

Daly, T. G., & Jones, B. C. (2020). Parties Versus Democracy: Addressing Today’s Political Party Threats to Democratic Rule. International Journal of Constitutional Law, 18(2), 509-538. https://doi.org/10.1093/ICON/MOAA025

Downs, A. (1957). An economic theory of democracy. Harper and Row.

Eguia, J. X. (2006). Contested Elections in a Citizen Candidate Model. Economics and Politics, 18(1), 95-102. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0343.2006.00164.x

Ekman, J. (2009). Political Participation and Regime Stability: A Framework for Analyzing Hybrid Regimes. International Political Science Review, 30(1), 7-31. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192512108097054

Ellinas, A. A., & Katsourides, Y. (2021). The Silent Electoral Earthquake in Cyprus: A Crisis of Political Representation. South European Society and Politics, 26(3), 413-436. https://doi.org/10.1080/13608746.2022.2034272

Fang, J., & Hong, J. Y. (2020). Domestic Migrants’ Responsiveness to Electoral Mobilization Under Authoritarianism: Evidence from China’s Grassroots Elections. Electoral Studies, 66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electstud.2020.102170

Ferejohn, J. A. (1977). On the Decline of Competition in Congressional Elections. American Political Science Review, 71(1), 166-176. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055400259364

Firmansyah, F., & Hidayat, R. (2024). Bibliometric and Critical Review of the Empirical Research on Political Deception. Thammasat Review, 27(1), 1-26. https://doi.org/10.14456/tureview.2024.1

Fisher, J. R. (1981). The Tory Revival of the 1830s: An Uncontested Election in South Nottinghamshire. Midland History, 6(1), 95-108. https://doi.org/10.1179/mdh.1981.6.1.95

Foster, D. (1977). The Politics of Uncontested Elections: North Lancashire 1832-1865. Northern History, 13(1), 232-247. https://doi.org/10.1179/007817277790176876

Galasso, V., & Nannicini, T. (2011). Competing on Good Politicians. American Political Science Review, 105(1), 79-99. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055410000535

Gandhi, J. (2015). Elections and Political Regimes. Government and Opposition, 50(3), 446-468. https://doi.org/10.1017/gov.2015.11

Gandhi, J., & Lust-Okar, E. (2009). Elections Under Authoritarianism. Annual Review of Political Science, 12, 403-422. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.polisci.11.060106.095434

Geras, M. J. (2023). Do Party Rules Matter? An Examination of State Party Bylaws and Congressional Nominations. American Politics Research, 51(4), 525-542. https://doi.org/10.1177/1532673X221131556

Golosov, G. V, Gushchina, K., & Kononenko, P. (2016). Russia’s Local Government in the Process of Authoritarian Regime Transformation: Incentives for the Survival of Local Democracy. Local Government Studies, 42(4), 507-526. https://doi.org/10.1080/03003930.2016.1154848

Gross, D., & Breaux, D. (1991). Historical Trends in U.S. Senate Elections, 1912-1988. American Politics Research, 19(3), 284-309. https://doi.org/10.1177/1532673X9101900302

Hall, A. B. (2014). Partisan Effects of Legislative Term Limits. Legislative Studies Quarterly, 39(3), 407-429. https://doi.org/10.1111/lsq.12051

Harvey, C. J. (2022). Who Delivers the Votes? Elected Versus Appointed Local Executives, Election Manipulation, and Natural Support for Ruling Parties. Electoral Studies, 76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electstud.2022.102455

He, B. (1996). Legitimation and Democratization in a Transitional China. Journal of Communist Studies and Transition Politics, 12(3), 315-342. https://doi.org/10.1080/13523279608415316

Hermet, G. (1978). State-controlled elections: A framework. In G. Hermet, R. Rose, & A. Rouquie (Eds.), Elections Without Choice (pp. 1-18). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-03342-3_1

Hidayat, R. (2024). A Bibliometric Review of Global Research on Constituency Service (1975–2024). Thammasat Review, 27(1), 248-285. https://doi.org/10.14456/tureview.2024.11

Hirano, S., & Snyder Jr., J. M. (2014). Primary Elections and the Quality of Elected Officials. Quarterly Journal of Political Science, 9(4), 473-500. https://doi.org/10.1561/100.00013096

Hogan, R. E. (2003a). Institutional and District-Level Sources of Competition in State Legislative Elections. Social Science Quarterly, 84(3), 543-560. https://doi.org/10.1111/1540-6237.8403004

Hogan, R. E. (2003b). Sources of Competition in State Legislative Primary Elections. Legislative Studies Quarterly, 28(1), 103-126. https://doi.org/10.3162/036298003X200827

Hood, W. W., & Wilson, C. S. (2001). The Literature of Bibliometrics, Scientometrics, and Informetrics. Scientometrics, 52(2), 291-314. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1017919924342

Hott, H. A. C. F., & Menezes-Filho, N. (2024). Are Newcomers Financially Responsible? Evidence From Close Elections in Brazilian Municipalities. Local Government Studies, 50(1), 48-86. https://doi.org/10.1080/03003930.2023.2185230

Huntington, S. P. (1991). The third wave: Democratization in the late twentieth century. University of Oklahoma Press.

Jacobson, G. C. (1989). Strategic Politicians and the Dynamics of U.S. House Elections, 1946–86. American Political Science Review, 83(3), 773-793. https://doi.org/10.2307/1962060

Jacobson, G. C., & Kernell, S. (1982). Strategy and Choice in the 1982 Congressional Elections. PS: Political Science & Politics, 15(3), 423-430. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1049096500060479

Joseph, R. (1997). Democratization in Africa After 1989: Comparative and Theoretical Perspectives. Comparative Politics, 29(3), 363-382. https://doi.org/10.2307/422126

Joseph, R. (1999). Democratization in Africa after 1989: Comparative and theoretical perspectives. In L. Anderson (Ed.), Transitions to Democracy (pp. 237-260). Columbia University Press.

Kennedy, S. S. (2017). Electoral Integrity: How Gerrymandering Matters. Public Integrity, 19(3), 265-273. https://doi.org/10.1080/10999922.2016.1225480

Knutsen, C. H., Nygård, H. M., & Wig, T. (2017). Autocratic Elections Stabilizing Tool or Force for Change? World Politics, 69(1), 98-143. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0043887116000149

Konisky, D. M., & Ueda, M. (2011). The Effects of Uncontested Elections on Legislator Performance. Legislative Studies Quarterly, 36(2), 199-229. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-9162.2011.00011.x

Kostroski, W. L. (1973). Party and Incumbency in Postwar Senate Elections: Trends, Patterns, and Models. American Political Science Review, 67(4), 1213-1234. https://doi.org/10.2307/1956544

Kouba, K., & Lysek, J. (2023). The Return of Silent Elections: Democracy, Uncontested Elections and Citizen Participation in Czechia. Democratization, 30(8), 1527-1551. https://doi.org/10.1080/13510347.2023.2246148

Langenohl, A., & Schmäing, S. (2020). Democratic Agnosia: The Reduction of the Political Public Sphere to Elections and Polls in Russia. Javnost, 27(1), 17-34. https://doi.org/10.1080/13183222.2020.1675436

Lay, C., Hanif, H., Ridwan, & Rohman, N. (2017). The Rise of Uncontested Elections in Indonesia: Case Studies of Pati and Jayapura. Contemporary Southeast Asia, 39(3), 427-448. https://doi.org/10.1355/cs39-3b

Lewis, P. (1990). Non-Competitive Elections and Regime Change: Poland 1989. Parliamentary Affairs, 43(1), 90-107. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.pa.a052239

Lijphart, A. (1994). Electoral systems and party systems: A study of twenty-seven democracies, 1945-1990. Oxford University Press.

Little, A. T. (2017). Are Non-Competitive Elections Good for Citizens? Journal of Theoretical Politics, 29(2), 214-242. https://doi.org/10.1177/0951629816630436

Lloyd, T. (1965). Uncontested Seats in British General Elections, 1852–1910. The Historical Journal, 8(2), 260-265. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0018246X00026996

Lueders, H. (2022). Electoral Responsiveness in Closed Autocracies: Evidence from Petitions in the Former German Democratic Republic. American Political Science Review, 116(3), 827-842. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3871828

Lust-Okar, E. (2006). Elections Under Authoritarianism: Preliminary Lessons from Jordan. Democratization, 13(3), 456-471. https://doi.org/10.1080/13510340600579359

Magaloni, B. (2010). The Game of Electoral Fraud and the Ousting of Authoritarian Rule. American Journal of Political Science, 54(3), 751-765. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5907.2010.00458.x

Mazurkiewicz, M. (2020). Non-Competitive Elections in Poland at the Local Level–Preliminary Assessments [Wybory Niekonkurencyjne w Polsce na Poziomie Lokalnym–Wstępne Oceny]. Studia Regionalne i Lokalne, 79(1), 97-113. https://doi.org/10.7366/1509499517905

Mazurkiewicz, M. (2021). Non-Competitive Elections at the Local Level and the Incumbency Advantage of Mayors – Research Experiences from Poland. Lex Localis, 19(4), 1015-1041. https://doi.org/10.4335/19.3.1015-1041(2021)

Miller, A. H., & Borrelli, S. A. (1991). Confidence in Government During the 1980s. American Politics Quarterly, 19(2), 147-173. https://doi.org/10.1177/1532673X9101900201

Miller, A. H., & Listhaug, O. (1990). Political Parties and Conidence in Government: A Comparison of Norway, Sweden and the United States. British Journal of Political Science, 29, 357-386. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007123400005883

Minaeva, E., Rumiantseva, A., & Zavadskaya, M. (2023). From Local Elections to Appointments: How Has Municipal Reform Changed Vote Delivery in Russian Municipalities? Electoral Studies, 85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electstud.2023.102657

Niemi, R. G., Jackman, S., & Winsky, L. R. (1991). Candidacies and Competitiveness in Multimember Districts. Legislative Studies Quarterly, 16(1), 91-109. https://doi.org/10.2307/439969

Nordström, R. (2024). The Effects of Uncontested Elections on Legislative Speechmaking: An Analysis of Legislative Performance in Japan’s Prefectural Assemblies. Electoral Studies, 87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electstud.2023.102732

Norris, P. (2017). Electoral transparency, accountability and integrity. In P. Norris, & A. Nai (Eds.), Election Watchdogs: Transparency, Accountability and Integrity (pp. 213-229). Oxford University Press.

Norris, P. (2018). Electoral systems and electoral integrity. In E. S. Herron, R. J. Pekkanen, & M. S. Shugart (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Electoral Systems (pp. 491-512). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190258658.013.10

Northmore-Ball, K., & Tertytchnaya, K. (2023). The Long-Term Effects of Voting for Autocracy: Evidence from Russia. Electoral Studies, 83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electstud.2023.102618

Perez-Vincent, S. M. (2023). A Few Signatures Matter: Barriers to Entry in Italian Local Politics. European Journal of Political Economy, 78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2022.102333

Prier, E., & Wagner, K. (2009). Running Unopposed: Assessing the Impact of Term Limits on Competition in Florida and Maine. Politics and Policy, 37(1), 101-125. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2008.00163.x

Przeworski, A. (1991). Democracy and the market: Political and economic reforms in Eastern Europe and Latin America. Cambridge University Press.

Purwaningsih, T., & Widodo, B. E. C. (2021). Democracy Without Contestation: The Victory of the Empty Box in the Local Election of Makassar City, South Sulawesi Indonesia in 2018. Sociologia y Tecnociencia, 11(2), 48-71. https://doi.org/10.24197/st.2.2021.48-71

Reuter, O. J., & Robertson, G. B. (2012). Subnational Appointments in Authoritarian Regimes: Evidence from Russian Gubernatorial Appointments. Journal of Politics, 74(4), 1023-1037. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022381612000631

Romanov, D., Fominykh, I., & Ankudinov, I. (2023). Substituting the Opposition Under Electoral Authoritarianism: The Case of the Russian Regional Parliamentary Elections in 2021. Russian Politics, 8(4), 519-549. https://doi.org/10.30965/24518921-00803011

Saikkonen, I. A. L. (2016). Variation in Subnational Electoral Authoritarianism: Evidence From the Russian Federation. Democratization, 23(3), 437-458. https://doi.org/10.1080/13510347.2014.975693

Sartori, G. (2016). Parties and party systems: A framework for analysis. ECPR Press.

Schedler, A. (2002). Elections Without Democracy: The Menu of Manipulation. Journal of Democracy, 13(2), 36-50. https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.2002.0031

Sharman, C. (2003). Uncontested Seats and the Evolution of Party Competition: The Australian Case. Party Politics, 9(6), 679-702. https://doi.org/10.1177/13540688030096002

Sharman, C. (2013). Limiting Party Representation: Evidence From a Small Parliamentary Chamber. Legislative Studies Quarterly, 38(3), 327-348. https://doi.org/10.1111/lsq.12017

Shin, D. C. (1994). On the Third Wave of Democratization: A Synthesis and Evaluation of Recent Theory and Research. World Politics, 47(1), 135-170. https://doi.org/10.2307/2950681

Skigin, N. (2023). Let the Voters Decide: Incumbents, Opposition, and Contested Primaries in Argentina. Party Politics, 29(6), 1147-1160. https://doi.org/10.1177/13540688221131986

Squire, P. (1989). Competition and Uncontested Seats in U. S. House Elections. Legislative Studies Quarterly, 14(2), 281-295. https://doi.org/10.2307/439761

Squire, P. (2000). Uncontested Seats in State Legislative Elections. Legislative Studies Quarterly, 25(1), 131-146. https://doi.org/10.2307/440396

Suzuki, K., & Han, Y. (2019). Does Citizen Participation Affect Municipal Performance? Electoral Competition and Fiscal Performance in Japan. Public Money and Management, 39(4), 300-309. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540962.2018.1558554

Szakonyi, D. (2022). Candidate Filtering: The Strategic Use of Electoral Manipulations in Russia. British Journal of Political Science, 52(2), 649-670. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007123420000836

van Eck, N. J., & Waltman, L. (2010). Software Survey: VOSviewer, a Computer Program for Bibliometric Mapping. Scientometrics, 84(2), 523-538. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-009-0146-3

White, S. (1985). Non-Competitive Elections and National Politics: The USSR Supreme Soviet Elections of 1984. Electoral Studies, 4(3), 215-229. https://doi.org/10.1016/0261-3794(85)90015-0

Wrighton, J. M., & Squire, P. (1997). Uncontested Seats and Electoral Competition for the U.S. House of Representatives Over Time. Journal of Politics, 59(2), 452-468. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022381600053524

Yakub, A., Armunanto, A. A., & Haryanto, H. (2022). Under Family Control: The Trend of Sole Candidate Elections in Indonesia. International Area Studies Review, 25(4), 303-321. https://doi.org/10.1177/22338659221120972


Full Text: pdf

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.
کاغذ a4

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribuzione - Non commerciale - Non opere derivate 3.0 Italia License.