Candidate success

Intra-party candidate success and ideological positions in an open-list proportional representation system

This dissertation contributes to the growing literature on intraparty competition. It shows how candidates’ ideological positions affect their chances of intra-party electoral success.

What makes a successful candidate in the Finnish open-list proportional electoral system?

We find that there are influential effects on vote-earning in political experience variables (e.g., incumbency) and campaign spending. The Finnish electoral system provides an advantage for well-known and established candidates.