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Reversal of Local Party System Nationalization: Exploring the Influence of Size, Rurality, Peripherality, and Mergers

R.H.J.M. Gradus et al.

Urban Affairs Review2026https://doi.org/10.1177/10780874261440781article
ABDC B
Weight
0.50

What the paper says

Nationalization of local party systems takes place in several countries. However, in the Netherlands, this process shows signs of reversal. Using data from seven municipal elections between 1998 and 2022, we observe that the local party system nationalization index decreases considerably over time, meaning more independent local parties in the local council. In addition to size, we find that rurality and center-periphery differences are important determinants of reverse nationalization. More specifically, we observe that a greater distance to the political center in the Netherlands is associated with less nationalization. In addition, more localization is found in municipalities that were recently part of a merger, except where a small municipality is merged with a much larger one.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/10780874261440781

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@article{r.h.j.m.2026,
  title        = {{Reversal of Local Party System Nationalization: Exploring the Influence of Size, Rurality, Peripherality, and Mergers}},
  author       = {R.H.J.M. Gradus et al.},
  journal      = {Urban Affairs Review},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/10780874261440781},
}

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Reversal of Local Party System Nationalization: Exploring the Influence of Size, Rurality, Peripherality, and Mergers

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.