Electoral Systems: A Comparative Introduction

Electoral Systems examines the six principal types of electoral systems currently in use in more than 50 of the world's democracies: single member plurality, alternative vote, two-round systems, list, single transferable vote, and the currently fashionable "mixed" systems. A common format is adopted throughout, dealing with explanations of how the system operates and its effects on the political system. The book concludes with three chapters assessing the (systemic and strategic) consequences of electoral systems, the factors behind selecting certain electoral systems over others, and the question of whether there is a "trade-off" between the proportionality and stability.