Election of Representatives and party fractionalization in Uruguay 1942-1999

this article looks at fractionalization in the election of members to the chamber of deputies in uruguay. in particular, it analyzes how this relates to the method of election of deputies in use during the period 1942-1999. starting from a discussion of the main hypotheses regarding the links between the electoral system and the degree of party fractionalization that can be observed in uruguay, it proposes a panel estimate using electoral data disaggregated by party and constituency - to measure the impact on electoral fractionalization of district magnitude and other relevant variables. on the basis of the results of the estimate, the article analyzes the relationship between district magnitude, the triple simultaneous vote and fractionalization, and concludes that the latter developed within the limits imposed by the electoral system through district magnitude.