Electoral Systems And Party Systems: A Study Of Twenty-seven Democracies, 1945-1990 University Press Scholarship Online

## Abstract 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 book describes and classifies the seventy electoral systems used by twenty-seven 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 elections between 1945 and 1990. Using comparative and statistical analyses of these systems, the author 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 election outcome, the degree of multipartism, and the creation of majority parties. The author reveals that electoral systems are neither as diverse nor as complex as is often assumed. This book 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 a longer timespan), and using stronger hypotheses and better analytical methods. "An electoral system is the most fundamental element of representative democracy, translating citizen's votes into representative's 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 elections between 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 five other key features of electoral systems on the proportionality of the election outcome, 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 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."--BOOK JACKET.

The most fundamental element of representative democracy is the electoral system—translating citizens' votes into representatives' seats. Electoral systems are also the most practical and accessible instrument available to democratic reformers. This systematic and comprehensive study describes and classifies 70 electoral systems used by 27 democracies including those of Western Europe, the United States, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, India, Israel, Japan, and New Zealand. Using comparative and statistical analysis of these systems, Arend Lijphart demonstrates the effect of the electoral formula used, the number of representatives elected per district, electoral thresholds, and five other key features of electoral systems on the proportionality of the election outcome, the degree of multipartisanism, and the creation of majority parties. In the process, he reveals that electoral systems are neither as diverse nor as complex as is usually assumed. The most definitive treatment of the subject since Rae's classic study in 1967, this book is based on more accurate and comprehensive data covering more countries and a longer time-span and uses stronger hypotheses and better analytical methods. The unique information and analysis it offers will make it essential reading for scholars and students of comparative politics.

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. Introduction : Goals And Methods -- Electoral Systems : Types, Patterns, Trends -- Disproportionality, Multipartism, And Majority Victories -- Changes In Election Rules Between Systems In The Same Country -- Bivariate And Multivariate Analyses -- Four Other Potential Explanations -- Electoral Engineering : Limits And Possibilities -- Appendix A : Proportional Representation Formulas -- Appendix B : Indices Of Disproportionality And Party System Characteristics -- Appendix C : Data - Sources, Additions, Corrections, Clarifications. Arend Lijphart ; In Collaboration With Don Aitkin ... [et Al.]. Includes Bibliographical References. EXCEPT in very small communities, democracy necessarily means representative democracy in which elected officials make decisions on behalf of the people.