Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

duverger's law

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: du-verg-er's law
IPA

20

Scrabble Score

12

Letters

3

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

name

The principle that plurality-rule elections (such as first past the post) structured within single-member districts tend to favour a two-party system, and that the double-ballot majority system and proportional representation tend to favor multipartyism.

Example Sentences

"Out of that work emerged Duverger’s Law, which holds that single-member districts tend to produce two-party systems. […] And in the long run, the inexorable machinery of Duverger’s Law will ensure that the Patriot Party is folded back into the Republican Party."

Etymology

Attributed to Maurice Duverger, French sociologist who published on the subject in the 1950s and 1960s.

Questions

What does duverger's law mean?: The principle that plurality-rule elections (such as first past the post) structured within single-member districts tend to favour a two-party system, and that the double-ballot majority system and proportional representation tend to favor multipartyism.
Where does duverger's law come from?: Attributed to Maurice Duverger, French sociologist who published on the subject in the 1950s and 1960s.

How to pronounce duverger's law

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