Students’ research. Who is Safe in Lithuania? Analysis of Single-Mandate Constituencies in Lithuania

Project idea

The main goal of this research is to enhance the student’s scientific competencies by implementing research that seeks to find out if Lithuania has safe constituencies, how do they form and why do they fall. Even though there is a lack of consensus on the definition of safe constituencies, they are usually defined as single-mandate districts where the same party or candidate always wins. Despite the fact that safe constituencies have already been researched in other countries (e.g., the UK, the US), they are barely analysed in Lithuania. Considering that, this analysis will provide some novelty in the academic field of Lithuanian electoral system, will contribute to a better understanding about the causes and premises for the formation of safe constituencies, and will allow better defining the concept of a safe constituency. To achieve this aim, a theoretical framework and methodology will be constructed. It will allow to interpret the data (which comprise information on winners of single-mandate constituencies, their gender, the changes in size and boundaries of districts, turn-out levels, etc.) on Central Electoral Commission website and to draw conclusions about the electoral game rules, voters’ attitudes in certain constituencies, and the problem of representativeness. The analysis will pave a way for the further research to compare if the case of Lithuania is similar, for example, to the majoritarian system countries as well as if the Lithuanian electoral system should be reformed.