Issues and party competition under alternative electoral systems

Proximity and directional spatial models yield different predictions for mass-elite linkages under alternative electoral systems. Whereas the proximity or Downsian model predicts that parties are likely to adopt positions that are closer to their voters, the alternative directional model predicts parties will adopt more extreme positions in order to generate political support among an electorate that has diffuse policy interests (Macdonald and Rabinowitz, 1989; Macdonald et al., 1991; Rabinowitz et al., 1991). Theoretical arguments lead us to expect that the directional model is most applicable in plurality systems, while the proximity model is best for describing party and voter behaviour in multiparty systems. While others have examined these models from a cross-national perspective, we employ an alternative research design using candidate and mass opinion data from New Zealand, where voters have experienced a change in the electoral system.