Rena Foo
Pronouns: she/her
Research Mentor(s): Allen Hicken
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Political Science / LSA
Program:
Authors: Allen Hicken, Julia Lippman, Rena Foo
Session: Session 4: 1:40 pm – 2:30 pm
Poster: 6
Abstract
Although local, regional, and national election data are public information scattered around various educational and government archives, there was no comprehensive source that researchers can access. The Constituency-Level Election Archive (CLEA) serves as a repository of national lower-house election results from countries all around the world throughout history. It began under principal investigators, Ken Kollman and Allen Hicken, at the Center for Political Studies at the University of Michigan. Once election results are interpreted from primary and secondary sources, they are formatted into Excel according to a CLEA-specific Coding Template. This template includes variables such as candidate votes, party votes, invalid votes, turnout, and seats won while accounting for the type of political representation that a country possesses. Afterward, the dataset undergoes qualitative and quantitative checks before being published. One of the best aspects is that it is publicly available online and free 24/7 for anyone to view. The study does not aim to discover any conclusions but rather to compile and preserve data into a single source for further analysis. It is an ongoing process that looks at historical data and integrates new elections as they occur. Thus, CLEA is useful for policymaking, academic research, and education by social scientists, political campaigns, think tanks, and government agencies alike—highly relevant in the fields of international relations, political science, and public policy. In addition, it promotes election integrity and transparency in emerging or traditional democracies around the world.
