Candidate Selection: Implications and Challenges for Legislative Behaviour

Before they can seek re-election, incumbent politicians must be reselected by their own party. Unless they decided not to seek re-election, the behavior of legislators in the legislature will therefore be influenced by their reselection. This chapterexamines the candidate selection method, an extra-parliamentary institution that influences the behavior of its members, and argues that it can encourage or discourage certain legislative behavior. It explains how the democratization of candidate selection—a more inclusive candidate selection method—will have a significant impact on legislators and legislatures. After discussing the relevance of candidate selection for legislative studies, the chapter considers different types of candidate selection methods, focusing on inclusive versus exclusive selectorates. It then looks at the legislative unity of political parties and analyzes whether cohesion or discipline is keeping the party united. It also outlines two different approaches to legislative behavior in general, and to party unity in particular: the sociological approach and the institutional approach. Finally, it addresses unanswered questions and offers suggestions for future.