Small Change – Big Impact? Rethinking Electoral Districts in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Understanding opportunities for political change in Bosnia and Herzegovina requires a re-thinking of political realities and what is, feasibly, possible in a country that has seen little structural change since the Dayton Peace Accord in 1995. Hence, this discussion moves away from wider questions about constitutional structures, power-sharing arrangements, veto rights, and federalism. Instead, we look at potential impact of amending Bosnia’s electoral law to increase the size of electoral districts for state-level and entity elections, make districts more heterogenous, and raise the threshold for party representation in order to encourage competition between larger parties in districts that are more similar to one another. We argue that such a change, while not overcoming all of the flaws of the Dayton Peace Agreement, will help improve efficiency and accountability while also potentially limiting ethnic outbidding.