Malapportionment as a Factor Associated With Islandness: Three Archipelagos Compared

This study examines the relationship between malapportionment and islandness in three European archipelagos (Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Azores), employing a comparative analysis of electoral systems. Using the Loosemore-Hanby index, we quantify representational imbalances, revealing systematic overrepresentation of smaller islands. Findings suggest that malapportionment is not an anomaly but a structural feature of island governance, shaped by geographic and institutional factors. The paper contributes to island studies by integrating electoral disproportionality into the broader framework of islandness.