"Political scientists tell us that in most parliamentary systems, general elections are known as first-order elections and local government elections are second-order elections."
"The same goes for European elections to choose a non-executive head of state, such as president of Ireland."
""The most important distinction between the two types is that in second-order elections 'there is less at stake as compared to first-order elections'. Yet these second-order elections are characterised by the same party system and are fought by the same parties as first-order elections, something that makes the relationship between first and second-order elections particularly interesting," Professor Michael Marsh of Trinity College Dublin, wrote in 1998."
Most parliamentary systems distinguish between first-order and second-order elections, with general elections classified as first-order and local government elections as second-order. Some European elections for selecting a non-executive head of state, such as the president of Ireland, function as second-order contests. The defining characteristic of second-order elections is that there is less at stake compared with first-order elections. Second-order contests typically involve the same party system and the same parties that compete in first-order elections. The shared party system creates a notable relationship between first- and second-order elections, influencing party strategies and voter behavior across electoral levels.
Read at Irish Independent
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