Matthew S. Shugart

Erik S. Herron

Robert J. Pekkanen

No subject is more central to the study of politics than elections. All across the globe, elections are a focal point for citizens, the media, and politicians long before--and sometimes long after--they occur. Electoral systems, the rules about how voters' preferences are translated into election results, profoundly shape the results not only of individual elections but also of many other important political outcomes, including party systems, candidate selection, and policy choices. Electoral systems have been a hot topic in established democracies from the UK and Italy to New Zealand and Japan. Even in the United States, events like the 2016 presidential election and court decisions such as Citizens United have sparked advocates to promote change in the Electoral College, redistricting, and campaign-finance rules. Elections and electoral systems have also intensified as a field of academic study, with groundbreaking work over the past decade sharpening our understanding of how electoral systems fundamentally shape the connections among citizens, government, and policy. This volume provides an in-depth exploration of the origins and effects of electoral systems.

The Oxford Handbook of Electoral Systems

Bernard Grofman

Arend Lijphart

Steven L. Taylor

Four distinguished scholars in political science analyze American democracy from a comparative point of view, exploring how the U.S. political system differs from that of thirty other democracies and what those differences ultimately mean for democratic performance. This essential text approaches the following institutions from a political engineering point of view: constitutions, electoral systems, and political parties, as well as legislative, executive, and judicial power. The text looks at democracies from around the world over a two-decade time frame. The result is not only a fresh view of the much-discussed theme of American exceptionalism but also an innovative approach to comparative politics that treats the United States as but one case among many. An ideal textbook for both American and comparative politics courses.

American Government in a 31-Country Perspective

A Different Democracy

David J. Samuels

This book provides a framework for analyzing the impact of the separation of powers on party politics. Conventional political science wisdom assumes that democracy is impossible without political parties, because parties fulfil all the key functions of democratic governance. They nominate candidates, coordinate campaigns, aggregate interests, formulate and implement policy, and manage government power. When scholars first asserted the essential connection between parties and democracy, most of the world's democracies were parliamentary. Yet by the dawn of the twenty-first century, most democracies had directly elected presidents. David J. Samuels and Matthew S. Shugart provide a theoretical framework for analyzing variation in the relationships among presidents, parties, and prime ministers across the world's democracies, revealing the important ways that the separation of powers alters party organization and behavior - thereby changing the nature of democratic representation and accountability.

How the Separation of Powers Affects Party Organization and Behavior

Presidents, Parties, and Prime Ministers

Machine generated contents note: -- 1. Terminology and Basic Rules of Electoral Systems -- Erik S. Herron, Robert J. Pekkanen, and Matthew S. Shugart -- Part I. Foundations of Electoral Systems -- 2. Dimensions of Variation in Electoral Systems -- Michael Gallagher and Paul Mitchell -- 3. Electoral System Effects on Party Systems -- Matthew S. Shugart and Rein Taagepera -- 4. Party System Effects on Electoral Systems -- Josep M. Colomer -- 5. Electoral System Design in New Democracies -- John M. Carey -- 6. Electoral System Change -- Alan Renwick -- Part II. Issues and Representation -- 7. Social Diversity, Electoral Systems, and the Party System -- Robert Moser, Ethan Scheiner, and Heather Stoll -- 8. Electoral Systems and Ethnic Minority Representation -- David Lublin and Shaun Bowler -- 9. Electoral Systems and Women's Representation -- Mona Lena Krook -- 10. Electoral Systems and Voter Turnout -- Daniel M. Smith -- 11. Electoral Systems and Citizen-Elite Ideological Congruence -- Matthew Golder and Benjamin Ferland -- 12. Electoral Systems and Issue Polarization -- James F. Adams and Nathan J. Rexford -- Part III. Electoral Systems and the Wider Political System -- 13. Portfolio-maximizing Strategic Voting in Parliamentary Elections -- Gary W. Cox -- 14. Presidential and Legislative Elections -- Mark P. Jones -- 15. Electoral Systems and Legislative Organization -- Shane Martin -- 16. Electoral Systems and Roles in the Legislative Arena -- Audrey André and Sam Depauw -- 17. Electoral Systems and Constituency Service -- Brian F. Crisp and William M. Simoneau -- 18. Direct Democracy and Referendums -- Matt Qvortrup -- 19. Electoral Systems in Authoritarian States -- Jennifer Gandhi and Abigail L. Heller -- Part IV. Electoral Systems and Research Design -- 20. Election Data and Levels of Analysis -- Ken Kollman -- 21. Experimental Research Design in the Study of Electoral Systems -- Joshua Tucker and Dominik Duell -- 22. Reconciling Approaches in the Study of Mixed-Member Electoral Systems -- Erik S. Herron, Kuniaki Nemoto, and Misa Nishikawa -- Part V. Holding Elections -- 23. Election Administration -- Thad E. Hall -- 24. Electoral Systems and Electoral Integrity -- Pippa Norris -- 25. Electoral Systems and Redistricting -- Lisa Handley -- 26. Electoral Systems and Campaign Finance -- Joel W. Johnson -- Part VI. Electoral Systems in Context -- 27. Electoral Systems in Context: The Netherlands -- Kristof Jacobs -- 28. Electoral Systems in Context: Israel -- Reuven Y. Hazan, Reut Itzkovitch-Malka, and Gideon Rahat -- 29. Electoral Systems in Context: Finland -- Åsa von Schoultz -- 30. Electoral Systems in Context: United Kingdom -- Thomas Carl Lundberg -- 31. Electoral Systems in Context: Ireland -- Michael Marsh -- 32. Electoral Systems in Context: France -- Verónica Hoyo -- 33. Electoral Systems in Context: India -- Adam Ziegfeld -- 34. Electoral Systems in Context: United States -- Steven L. Taylor -- 35. Electoral Systems in Context: Canada -- Louis Massicotte -- 36. Electoral Systems in Context: Australia -- Ian McAllister and Toni Makkai -- 37. Electoral Systems in Context: Germany -- Thomas Zittel -- Part VII. Electoral Systems in the Context of Reform -- 38. Electoral Systems in Context: New Zealand -- Jack Vowles -- 39. Electoral Systems in Context: Japan -- Kuniaki Nemoto -- 40. Electoral Systems in Context: Italy -- Gianluca Passarelli -- 41. Electoral Systems in Context: Colombia -- Steven L. Taylor and Matthew S. Shugart -- Part VIII. Electoral Systems in the Context of New Democracies -- 42. Electoral Systems in Context: Ukraine -- Erik S. Herron -- 43. Electoral Systems in Context: Indonesia -- Nathan Allen -- 44. Electoral Systems in Context: South Africa -- Karen E. Ferree

Matthew S. Shugart

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