Democracy and the Logic of Political Survival — Kevin A. Clarke & Randall W. Stone (2006)

Clarke and Stone critically evaluate the selectorate theory, arguing that its core claims about coalition size driving political outcomes are not supported by data, largely due to flawed statistical methods that exaggerate its explanatory power.

What is Selectorate Theory?

What the Paper Shows

The theory itself is still logically appealing, but the claim that it explains most political outcomes is not supported by reliable evidence, and democracy remains more complex than the theory suggests.