Mixed Logit Models for Multiparty Elections

Mixed logit (MXL) is a general discrete choice model thus farunexamined in the study of multicandidate and multiparty elections.Mixed logit assumes that the unobserved portions of utilityare a mixture of an IID extreme value term and another multivariatedistribution selected by the researcher. This general specificationallows MXL to avoid imposing the independence of irrelevantalternatives (IIA) property on the choice probabilities. Further,MXL is a flexible tool for examining heterogeneity in voterbehavior through random-coefficients specifications. MXL isa more general discrete choice model than multinomial probit(MNP) in several respects, and can be applied to a wider varietyof questions about voting behavior than MNP. An empirical exampleusing data from the 1987 British General Election demonstratesthe utility of MXL in the study of multicandidate and multipartyelections.