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Party Politicisation Reversed? Non-partisan Alternatives in Norwegian Local Politics

2005; Wiley; Volume: 28; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1111/j.0080-6757.2005.00126.x

1467-9477

Jacob Aars, Hans-Erik Ringkjøb,

Political Influence and Corporate Strategies

Scandinavian Political StudiesVolume 28, Issue 2 p. 161-181 Party Politicisation Reversed? Non-partisan Alternatives in Norwegian Local Politics Jacob Aars, Corresponding Author Jacob Aars * Jacob Aars, Rokkan Centre, Nygaarsdgaten 5, N-5015 Bergen, Norway. E-mail:[email protected] **Hans-Erik Ringkjøb, Rokkan Centre, Nygaardsgaten 5, N-5015 Bergen, Norway. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorHans-Erik Ringkjøb, Corresponding Author Hans-Erik Ringkjøb * Jacob Aars, Rokkan Centre, Nygaarsdgaten 5, N-5015 Bergen, Norway. E-mail:[email protected] **Hans-Erik Ringkjøb, Rokkan Centre, Nygaardsgaten 5, N-5015 Bergen, Norway. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author Jacob Aars, Corresponding Author Jacob Aars * Jacob Aars, Rokkan Centre, Nygaarsdgaten 5, N-5015 Bergen, Norway. E-mail:[email protected] **Hans-Erik Ringkjøb, Rokkan Centre, Nygaardsgaten 5, N-5015 Bergen, Norway. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorHans-Erik Ringkjøb, Corresponding Author Hans-Erik Ringkjøb * Jacob Aars, Rokkan Centre, Nygaarsdgaten 5, N-5015 Bergen, Norway. E-mail:[email protected] **Hans-Erik Ringkjøb, Rokkan Centre, Nygaardsgaten 5, N-5015 Bergen, Norway. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author First published: 18 May 2005 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0080-6757.2005.00126.xCitations: 52AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Abstract Based on time series data from Norwegian local elections, this article addresses the question of whether the party politicisation process in the local electoral arena is showing signs of reversal. We explore this question by looking at the extent to which non-partisan lists have existed over time in Norwegian municipalities and by an analysis of the degree to which the voters have supported them. Furthermore we examine the nature of the non-partisan lists, and finally we revisit earlier studies that showed that the party politicisation of local government increased participation. The results show that national parties still dominate local politics. Nevertheless, non-partisan lists continue to mobilise. During the 1990s we witnessed a slight rise in the supply of non-partisan lists. However, supply decreased in the 2003 elections, probably owing to changes in the electoral law. In terms of representation, non-partisan lists appear successful. On average, during the time span we investigate, non-partisan lists obtained mandates in more than 93 percent of the municipalities where they stood for election. Our study gives little support to the assertion that there is a new generation of non-partisan lists consisting mainly of single-issue lists. However, there are signs of a shift away from the traditional local lists. Finally we have analysed the relationship between turnout and the presence of non-partisan lists. In contrast to the 1960s and to some extent the 1970s, turnout is currently highest in municipalities with non-partisan alternatives, irrespective of municipal size. Although it is clearly an overstatement to talk of a non-partisan renaissance, it seems as if the non-partisan lists have a stronger mobilising potential nowadays than they did in the past. REFERENCES Arstein, T. 1997. ‘Gøy på landet? 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