Parliamentary Representation in the Macau Special Administrative Region: A Quantitative Analysis of Roll Call Voting Behavior in the 5th Legislative Assembly, 2013-2017

Abstract

This paper examines the nature of parliamentary representation in the Macau Special Administrative Region through an extensive roll call voting analysis for the 5th term Legislative Assembly from 2013 through 2017. It presents a considerable amount of variance in the decision-making of the legislators, meaning that the Macau legislature is not just a rubber stamp but a place where a series of collective decisions are made with careful consideration of the individual legislators. Unlike the conventional wisdom that the pro-establishment politicians dominate Macau politics, its social network analysis reveals that two distinct groups shape legislative politics in Macau. Its spatial model of roll call voting finds that most of collective decision-makings fit a single government-opposition dimension.

Keywords

• parliamentary representation
• roll call voting behavior
• one country two systems
• Macau