The book contains full accounts of the operation of electoral systems in 22 countries: France, the UK, Germany, Italy, Israel, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, The Netherlands, Ireland, Hungary, Russia, Australia, Canada, India, the USA, Japan,New Zealand, Chile, and South Africa.The book provides detailed analyses of the operation of a diverse set of electoral systems in their national context.

This text provides a systematic and comprehensive study of 70 electoral systems used by 27 democracies, including those of Western Europe, Australia, Canada, the USA, Costa Rica, India, Israel, Japan and New Zealand.

The Comparative Study of Electoral Systems has collected data on political institutions and on individual political behavior and scrutinized it carefully.

This book compares the experiences of diverse countries, from Latin America to southern Africa, from Uruguay, Japan, and Taiwan to Israel, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

The book contains full accounts of the operation of electoral systems in 22 countries: France, the UK, Germany, Italy, Israel, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, The Netherlands, Ireland, Hungary, Russia, Australia, Canada, India, the USA, Japan,New Zealand, Chile, and South Africa.The book provides detailed analyses of the operation of a diverse set of electoral systems in their national context.

An electoral system is the most fundamental element of representative democracy, translating citizen's votes into representatives' seats. It is also the most potent practical instrument available to democratic reformers.This systematic and comprehensive study describes and classifies the 70 electoral systems used by 27 democracies - including those of Western Europe, Australia, Canada, the USA, Costa Rica, India, Israel, Japan, and New Zealand - for 384 national legislative and European Parliament electionsbetween 1945 and 1990.Using comparative and statistical analyses of these systems, Arend Lijphart demonstrates the effect of the electoral formula used, the number of representatives elected per district, electoral thresholds, and of five other key features of electoral systems on the proportionality of the electionoutcome, the degree of multipartism, and the creation of majority parties. In the process he reveals that electoral systems are neither as diverse nor as complex as is often assumed.Electoral Systems and Party Systems represents the most definitive treatment of the subject since Rae's classic study in 1967, based as it is on more accurate and comprehensive data (covering more countries and over a longer time span), and using stronger hypotheses and better analytical methods.The unique information and analysis it offers will make it essential reading for everyone working in the field.

No subject is more central to the study of politics than elections. This volume provides an in-depth exploration of the origins and effects of electoral systems.

Electoral systems are central to the functioning of all political systems. This text examines six principal types of electoral system currently in use: first past the post, alternative vote, second ballot, list, single transferable vote, and the "German" two-vote system.

This volume brings together major arguments on what constitutes the best electoral system, particularly on the relative merits of plurality and proportional representation.

The Comparative Study of Electoral Systems has collected data on political institutions and on individual political behavior and scrutinized it carefully.