Why Do Political Parties Keep Their Promises
5. MEASURING HOW POLITICAL PARTIES KEEP THEIR PROMISES1
François Petry and Benoît Collette
November 2008
Abstract
This chapter addresses three questions about the relation between political discourse and action: Do political parties keep their promises once elected? What are the methodologies used by scholars to demonstrate that political parties keep (or do not keep) their campaign promises? Are these methodologies valid and reliable? We answer these questions based on a review of 18 journal articles and book chapters published in English and French over the past forty years that report quantitative measures of election promise fulfillment in North America and Europe. We find that parties fulfill 67 percent of their promises …show more content…
1985. Presidents and Promises: From Campaign Pledge to Presidential Performance. Washington: Congressional Quarterly Press.
Hofferbert, R. I. and I. Budge. 1992. The Party Mandate and the Westminster Model: Election Programmes and Government Spending in Britain, 1945-85. British Journal of Political Science 22(2): 151-182.
Hofferbert, R. I. and H.-D. Klingemann. 1990. The Policy Impact of Party Programmes and Government Declarations in the Federal Republic of Germany. European Journal of Political Research 18(277-304.
Kalogeropoulou, E. 1989. Election Promises and Government Performance in Greece: PASOK’s Fulfilment of its 1981 Election Pledges. European Journal of Political Research 17(289-311.
King, G. and M. Laver. 1993. Party Platforms, Mandates, and Governement Spending. The American Political Science Review 87(3): 744-750.
Klingemann, H.-D., I. Budge, and R. I. Hofferbert. 1994. Parties, Policies, and Democracy. Boulder: Westview Press.
Krukones, M. G. 1984. Promises and Performance: Presidential Campaigns as Policy Predictors. Lanham, Md: University Press of America.
Monière, D. 1988. Le discours électoral. Les politiciens sont-ils fiables ? Montréal: …show more content…
1995. The Party Agenda Model: Election Programmes and Governement Spending in Canada. Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politique 28(1): 51-84.
Petry, F. 2002. La réalisation des engagements du Parti québécois : analyse d 'ensemble. In Le Parti québécois. Bilan des engagements électoraux 1994-2000, ed. Petry, F., 161-181. Québec: Presses de l 'Université Laval.
Petry, F. and B. Collette. 2006. Le gouvernement Charest a-t-il respecté ses promesses ? In Le Parti libéral. Enquête sur les réalisations du gouvernement Charest, ed. Petry, F., É. Bélanger and L. M. Imbeau, 83-101. Québec: Presses de l 'Université Laval.
Pomper, G. M. 1968. Elections in America. Control and Influence in Democratic Politics. Toronto: Dodd, Mead & Company.
Pomper, G. M. and S. S. Lederman. 1980. Elections in America. Control and Influence in Democratic Politics. New York: Longman.
Rallings, C. 1987. The Influence of Election Programmes: Britain and Canada 1945-79. In Ideology, Strategy, and Party Change: Spatial Analysis of Post-War Elections Programmes in Nineteen Democracies, ed. Budge, I., D. Robertson and D. Hearl, Cambridge: Cambridge University
François Petry and Benoît Collette
November 2008
Abstract
This chapter addresses three questions about the relation between political discourse and action: Do political parties keep their promises once elected? What are the methodologies used by scholars to demonstrate that political parties keep (or do not keep) their campaign promises? Are these methodologies valid and reliable? We answer these questions based on a review of 18 journal articles and book chapters published in English and French over the past forty years that report quantitative measures of election promise fulfillment in North America and Europe. We find that parties fulfill 67 percent of their promises …show more content…
1985. Presidents and Promises: From Campaign Pledge to Presidential Performance. Washington: Congressional Quarterly Press.
Hofferbert, R. I. and I. Budge. 1992. The Party Mandate and the Westminster Model: Election Programmes and Government Spending in Britain, 1945-85. British Journal of Political Science 22(2): 151-182.
Hofferbert, R. I. and H.-D. Klingemann. 1990. The Policy Impact of Party Programmes and Government Declarations in the Federal Republic of Germany. European Journal of Political Research 18(277-304.
Kalogeropoulou, E. 1989. Election Promises and Government Performance in Greece: PASOK’s Fulfilment of its 1981 Election Pledges. European Journal of Political Research 17(289-311.
King, G. and M. Laver. 1993. Party Platforms, Mandates, and Governement Spending. The American Political Science Review 87(3): 744-750.
Klingemann, H.-D., I. Budge, and R. I. Hofferbert. 1994. Parties, Policies, and Democracy. Boulder: Westview Press.
Krukones, M. G. 1984. Promises and Performance: Presidential Campaigns as Policy Predictors. Lanham, Md: University Press of America.
Monière, D. 1988. Le discours électoral. Les politiciens sont-ils fiables ? Montréal: …show more content…
1995. The Party Agenda Model: Election Programmes and Governement Spending in Canada. Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politique 28(1): 51-84.
Petry, F. 2002. La réalisation des engagements du Parti québécois : analyse d 'ensemble. In Le Parti québécois. Bilan des engagements électoraux 1994-2000, ed. Petry, F., 161-181. Québec: Presses de l 'Université Laval.
Petry, F. and B. Collette. 2006. Le gouvernement Charest a-t-il respecté ses promesses ? In Le Parti libéral. Enquête sur les réalisations du gouvernement Charest, ed. Petry, F., É. Bélanger and L. M. Imbeau, 83-101. Québec: Presses de l 'Université Laval.
Pomper, G. M. 1968. Elections in America. Control and Influence in Democratic Politics. Toronto: Dodd, Mead & Company.
Pomper, G. M. and S. S. Lederman. 1980. Elections in America. Control and Influence in Democratic Politics. New York: Longman.
Rallings, C. 1987. The Influence of Election Programmes: Britain and Canada 1945-79. In Ideology, Strategy, and Party Change: Spatial Analysis of Post-War Elections Programmes in Nineteen Democracies, ed. Budge, I., D. Robertson and D. Hearl, Cambridge: Cambridge University