Vierzig-Prozent-Regel für mit der Personenwahl verbundene Verhältniswahlen: Empirische Überprüfung einer praktischen Hypothese

Based on empirical data from German elections after WW II, 765 test instances are constructed to examine the forty-percent-rule. This rule states that all winners of single-seatconstituencies can be integrated into the proportional representation outcome provided the number of constituencies equals forty percent of the nominal size of parliament. While the traditional fifty percent share usually leads to overhang seats, a share of forty percent leads to overhang seats in only twenty-two of the 765 test instances.