Competition and its outcomes: Does a more campelilive electoral system elect more well-educated politicians?

Abstract

Recent studies have reemphasized the importance of competition in democracy. An idea originating from Weber: that demoeratic competition leads to more qualified leaders, has been resurrected. Research shows that democracies are more Iikely to elect leaders with a high leve l of education, and with in demoeratic states stronger competition correlates with elected politicians with higher education, more political experience and higher previous income. This study researehes whether the earrelation between greater competition and elected candirlates with higher "Curriculum vitae-qualities" holds between electoral systems. Does a more competitive electoral system elect candirlates that score higher on such measures? Using education as a proxy forthese qualities the study traces different outcomes on education in a mixed electoral system, camparing the majoritarian (more competitive) part of the electoral system with the prop011ional (less competitive) part. lt finds that there is no clear earrelation and discovers hints that this may be because a proportional systems elects candirlates with high levels of education for other reasons.