The limited electoral payoff of parliamentary work: Insights from the Polish parliament,2005–2023

It is often assumed that parliamentary activity, by demonstrating MPs’ commitment and the diligent fulfilment of their duties, is viewed favourably by the electorate and increases their chances of re-election. Our results imply a more nuanced picture. Drawing on data from the Polish Sejm between 2005 and 2023, we find that parliamentary activity has no discernible positive effect on re-election for most MPs. We also document that MPs with the lowest activity levels retain a high likelihood of securing a seat in subsequent elections. These patterns are difficult to reconcile with voters rewarding parliamentary conduct. Instead, our evidence points to the decisive role of an MP’s position in the party hierarchy in shaping voter perceptions and electoral success. In line with this, re-election depends largely on an MP’s ranking on the party list, which remains remarkably stable over time. Overall, our findings suggest that party structures and internal selection processes can substantially constrain voter-driven accountability, even in electoral systems that allow voters to choose among individual candidates.