Dr. Alistair Clark, Newcastle University E: Alistair.clark@ncl.ac.uk T: @ClarkAlistairJ In my earlier blog for CISE on the UK’s 2015 general election, I noted how uncertain the polls were, with none of the two main British parties – Conservative or Labour - able to make a decisive break prior to polling day. I ended by suggesting that there was likely to be an investigation into the polling industry after election day. One of those predictions came true. Unfortunately for the reputation of political science predictions, it was that there will be an inquiry into the performance of the polling industry. Expectations were of a hung...

Dr. Alistair Clark Newcastle University Alistair.clark@ncl.ac.uk The UK goes to the polls on the 7th May 2015 in what is widely expected to be the tightest and most uncertain general election contest since the 1970s. Like many other countries, the UK is facing a highly sceptical and volatile electorate, a populist right-wing insurgency, pressure from secessionists and the breakdown of what many comparative scholars have long held to be a defining characteristic of British politics, the two-party system.  There are a number of things that are likely to be major issues in the election. Six of the most important are as follows. No...

  Introduction Lorenzo De Sio, Vincenzo Emanuele and Nicola Maggini Part 1 – Before the elections Towards the European elections: An introductory framework Vincenzo Emanuele and Nicola Maggini Life of EP: History of the empowerment of the European Parliament Rocco Polin The evolution of turnout in European elections from 1979 to 2009 Nicola Maggini Proportional representation with variable-geometry: Here is how to vote in the 28 member states Vincenzo Emanuele Europarties’ choices—Who are the candidates for the presidency of the European Commission and how have they been selected? Bruno Marino Expansion and electoral success: The winning strategy of the EPP Vincenzo Emanuele United but loser? The PES between party cohesion and electoral decline Michail Schwartz The Alliance...

Introduction: a perfect storm? Lorenzo De Sio, Vincenzo Emanuele, Nicola Maggini and Aldo Paparo Part 1 – Before the elections How Berlusconi could yet pull off the unimaginable Roberto D’Alimonte 2013 Italian Parliamentary Election Pre-Election Report Aldo Paparo Even in the Chamber of Deputies, the result is not to be taken for granted Roberto D’Alimonte The uncertainty of Monti’s electoral hold Roberto D’Alimonte The 2013 Senate lottery: Possible scenarios Aldo Paparo Part 2 – The electoral results The live coverage on the CISE website on election day CISE Turnout: An accelerated decline Federico De Lucia and Matteo Cataldi An electoral tsunami hits Italy: 50 provinces washed away from PD and PdL Matteo Cataldi and Vincenzo Emanuele The center-right and...

di Roberto D'Alimonte Articolo pubblicato sul Financial Times il 14 febbraio 2013 Can Silvio Berlusconi do it? A few weeks ago the prospect that  Italy's  former prime minister  would stage a comeback was laughable.  Now, with less than two weeks to go before polling day, it may be the media magnate  and playboy former premier  who has the last  laugh.  The last  opinion polls published  before an official blackout period point to a closer race than many expected: the gap between Pier Luigi Bersani's  left-of-centre coalition  and Mr Berlusconi's  right­ of-centre alliance  has  narrowed  to 5-6 percentage  points. In most western...