Electoral systems: a comparative introduction

Cover -- Contents -- List of Boxes, Tables and Figures -- Preface and Acknowledgements -- 1 The Study of Electoral Systems -- 1.1 Why Study Electoral Systems? -- 1.2 Classifying Electoral Systems -- 1.3 Confl icting Views on the Meaning of 'Representation' -- 1.4 Conclusion -- 2 The Single-Member Plurality System and its Cousins -- 2.1 The Single-Member Plurality System in Practice -- 2.2 Britain's Long Road to Electoral Reform -- 2.3 The Electoral Reform Debate in Other SMP Countries -- 2.4 Other Plurality Systems -- 2.5 Conclusion -- 3 Majority Electoral Systems: Two-Round Systems and the Alternative Vote -- 3.1 The Two-Round System -- 3.2 The Alternative Vote System -- 3.3 Assessing Majority Electoral Systems -- 3.4 Conclusion -- 4 The List Systems of Proportional Representation -- 4.1 The Origins of List PR Systems -- 4.2 Electoral Formulas: Largest Remainders and Highest Averages -- 4.3 District Magnitude: Constituency Size and Multi-Tier Districting -- 4.4 Ballot Structure: Closed, Ordered and Open Lists -- 4.5 The Operation of the List PR System in the Netherlands -- 4.6 Conclusion -- 5 Mixed-Member Electoral Systems -- 5.1 The Operation of Germany's Mixed-Member Electoral System -- 5.2 Proportionality, Parties and Politics in Germany -- 5.3 Other Mixed-Member Electoral Systems -- 5.4 Conclusion -- 6 The Single Transferable Vote System of Proportional Representation -- 6.1 STV in Ireland -- 6.2 How STV Works -- 6.3 Variations in STV Design -- 6.4 The Consequences of STV for the Political System -- 6.5 Conclusion -- 7 The Consequences of Electoral Systems -- 7.1 Proportionality Profi les of Different Electoral Systems -- 7.2 Electoral Systems and Party Systems -- 7.3 Parliament as a 'Microcosm'? -- 7.4 The Strategic Effects of Electoral Systems -- 7.5 Conclusion -- 8 The Politics of Electoral System Design.