Koalitionssignale bei Landtagswahlen

In parliamentary systems, coalition formation substantially shapes policy formulation until the next election. If a multitude of coalition options is theoretically conceivable, this fundamental decision rests entirely with party elites – The alleged democratic “sovereign” buys the proverbial “pig in a poke”. Positive as well as negative coalition signals sent by parties prior to an election increase voters’ influence on government formation.
For the first time, this book registers and analyzes coalition signals on the German Länder level between 1990 and 2012 on the micro, meso and macro level, based on a comprehensive and differentiated typology. Signals’ pre-election realisticness and post-election validity are also scrutinized.
Furthermore, the volume offers an overview on coalition formation research and the development of the party systems in the German Länder.