Democracy and Elections
Electoral Systems and their Political Consequences

This 1983 book analyses the main electoral systems of modern democracies, and places them in their institutional and historical context.

Vernon Bogdanor (Edited by), David Butler (Edited by)

9780521272827, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 18 August 1983

278 pages
21.6 x 14 x 1.6 cm, 0.36 kg

Originally published in 1983, Democracy and Elections analyses the main electoral systems of modern democracies, and places them in their institutional and historical context. A distinguished group of contributors provide interpretations of the electoral systems of the EEC countries and Japan, and assess the ways in which different electoral systems affect the political practice of each country. If the book has a single theme, it is that one should be sceptical about attributing fixed qualities to electoral systems. Although amongst the quantifiable of political phenomena, they do not conform to mechanistic rules, but must be understood in terms of the historical experience and cultural outlook of different societies. What is striking is the great variety of ways in which different countries have attempted to meet the problem of translating votes into seats.

Contributors
Preface
Glossary
1. Introduction Vernon Bogdanor
2. Elections and electoral systems: choices and alternatives Richard Rose
3. Variants of the Westminster model David Butler
4. France David Goldey and Philip Williams
5. Germany Peter Pulzer
6. Italy Christopher Seton-Watson
7. Scandinavia Bo Särlvik
8. Benelux Dick Leonard
9. The Republic of Ireland Paul McKee
10. Greece Richard Clogg
11. Japan J. A. A. Stockwin
12. The European Parliament Michael Steed
13. Conclusion: electoral systems and party systems Vernon Bogdanor
Index.

Subject Areas: Politics & government [JP]