This study examines the impact of council size on local representation and governance using data from over 7,000 French municipalities, where proportional voting with a majority bonus applies. We exploit the discontinuities created by population thresholds defining the number of seats. Our findings show that assembly size does not significantly affect the number of parties running or winning seats, voter turnout, or public spending. However, larger assemblies affect the distribution of seats, reducing disproportionality and increasing party fragmentation. We demonstrate that these effects are driven by the majority bonus in the electoral system.

The rising voter abstention worldwide raises growing concerns about the legitimacy of democratic systems and reflects a gradual erosion of trust in political institutions. First, this article explores theoretical models that explain electoral behavior and the mechanisms underlying the decision to vote or abstain. It then analyzes the empirical factors influencing abstention, such as socio-demographic and political characteristics. The third section examines the increase in abstention among certain population groups and the changes in political participation patterns. Finally, the article discusses the political implications of abstention, particularly on the representativeness of electoral outcomes and the legitimacy of political decisions, and proposes solutions, including compulsory voting. By bringing together theoretical and empirical analyses, this article provides an overview of the current debate on abstention and its consequences for democracy. 

This paper empirically verifies whether education, an indicator of voters’ ability to process information, constrains political budget cycles (PBC), a measure of inefficiency in the agency relationship between voters and their representatives. Over information and the spread of fake news question the previous results of conditional PBC literature on information as a factor improving such relationship. We proxy the quality of education by PISA scores and the its diffusion by the percentage of students completing secondary and tertiary education. On a sample of 46 countries over the period 2000-2019, the estimates show that higher levels of education reduce the magnitude of PBC. Adding standard proxies for information (media and internet penetration) does not affect the results, showing that education matters more than information. The analysis also evidences differences between higher and lower degrees of democracy. All the other findings of the literature appear confirmed.