The Party Politics of Electoral System Choice
The Party Politics of Electoral System Choice explores the strategic manipulation of electoral systems by political actors to maintain power. It delves into how electoral systems are more than mere governance tools; they are pivotal instruments that shape power dynamics. The book shows that the choi...
محفوظ في:
| المؤلفون الرئيسيون: | , |
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| التنسيق: | Online |
| اللغة: | الإنجليزية |
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Oxford University Press
2026
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| الموضوعات: | |
| الوصول للمادة أونلاين: | https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/111772 |
| الوسوم: |
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| _version_ | 1869522813161832448 |
|---|---|
| author | Emmenegger, Patrick Walter, André |
| author_browse | Emmenegger, Patrick Walter, André |
| author_facet | Emmenegger, Patrick Walter, André |
| author_sort | Emmenegger, Patrick |
| collection | Directory of Open Access Books |
| description | The Party Politics of Electoral System Choice explores the strategic manipulation of electoral systems by political actors to maintain power. It delves into how electoral systems are more than mere governance tools; they are pivotal instruments that shape power dynamics. The book shows that the choice of an electoral system is one of the most consequential decisions in any democracy. The authors develop a ‘neo-Rokkanian’ theory of electoral system choice, arguing that incumbent parties try to contain electoral threats through district design and electoral alliances. When successful, incumbent parties resist electoral reform. However, this strategy leads to growing seat-vote distortions, which is why disadvantaged parties demand proportional representation. In the absence of any exogenous shock, however, disadvantaged parties will struggle to overcome the incumbent parties’ resistance to electoral reform. If incumbent parties cannot resort to containment measures, for example because the electoral geography is not suitable, they support the adoption of proportional representation. In this response, incumbent parties opt for a more inclusive electoral system that allows them to limit their seat losses in the face of a rapidly growing electoral threat that they cannot neutralize. Through a comprehensive analysis of first-wave democracies and a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, the authors reveal the broader patterns of strategic behaviour of political actors seeking to optimize their positions through electoral reform. This comprehensive study is essential for understanding the politics of electoral system choice, offering new insights into electoral geography, district design, electoral alliances, and party preferences for electoral reform. |
| format | Online |
| id | doab-20.500.12854ir-173728 |
| institution | Directory of Open Access Books |
| language | eng |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Oxford University Press |
| publisherStr | Oxford University Press |
| record_format | ojs |
| spelling | doab-20.500.12854ir-1737282026-03-19T14:08:37Z The Party Politics of Electoral System Choice Emmenegger, Patrick Walter, André Electoral system choice Proportional representation Majoritarian representation Electoral manipulation Partisan districting Electoral alliances Democratization Representation Malapportionment thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPB Comparative politics thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPA Political science and theory thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPH Political structure and processes::JPHF Elections and referenda / suffrage The Party Politics of Electoral System Choice explores the strategic manipulation of electoral systems by political actors to maintain power. It delves into how electoral systems are more than mere governance tools; they are pivotal instruments that shape power dynamics. The book shows that the choice of an electoral system is one of the most consequential decisions in any democracy. The authors develop a ‘neo-Rokkanian’ theory of electoral system choice, arguing that incumbent parties try to contain electoral threats through district design and electoral alliances. When successful, incumbent parties resist electoral reform. However, this strategy leads to growing seat-vote distortions, which is why disadvantaged parties demand proportional representation. In the absence of any exogenous shock, however, disadvantaged parties will struggle to overcome the incumbent parties’ resistance to electoral reform. If incumbent parties cannot resort to containment measures, for example because the electoral geography is not suitable, they support the adoption of proportional representation. In this response, incumbent parties opt for a more inclusive electoral system that allows them to limit their seat losses in the face of a rapidly growing electoral threat that they cannot neutralize. Through a comprehensive analysis of first-wave democracies and a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, the authors reveal the broader patterns of strategic behaviour of political actors seeking to optimize their positions through electoral reform. This comprehensive study is essential for understanding the politics of electoral system choice, offering new insights into electoral geography, district design, electoral alliances, and party preferences for electoral reform. 2026-03-19T14:08:35Z 2026-03-19T14:08:35Z 2026-03-17T10:15:09Z 2026 book https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/111772 9780192885661 9780191980824 9780192885685 9780192885678 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/173728 eng open access image/jpeg Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/111772/1/9780192885661.pdf Oxford University Press 10.1093/9780191980824.001.0001 10.1093/9780191980824.001.0001 db4e319f-ca9f-449a-bcf2-37d7c6f885b1 9780192885661 9780191980824 9780192885685 9780192885678 334 Oxford open access |
| spellingShingle | Electoral system choice Proportional representation Majoritarian representation Electoral manipulation Partisan districting Electoral alliances Democratization Representation Malapportionment thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPB Comparative politics thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPA Political science and theory thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPH Political structure and processes::JPHF Elections and referenda / suffrage Emmenegger, Patrick Walter, André The Party Politics of Electoral System Choice |
| title | The Party Politics of Electoral System Choice |
| title_full | The Party Politics of Electoral System Choice |
| title_fullStr | The Party Politics of Electoral System Choice |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Party Politics of Electoral System Choice |
| title_short | The Party Politics of Electoral System Choice |
| title_sort | party politics of electoral system choice |
| topic | Electoral system choice Proportional representation Majoritarian representation Electoral manipulation Partisan districting Electoral alliances Democratization Representation Malapportionment thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPB Comparative politics thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPA Political science and theory thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPH Political structure and processes::JPHF Elections and referenda / suffrage |
| topic_facet | Electoral system choice Proportional representation Majoritarian representation Electoral manipulation Partisan districting Electoral alliances Democratization Representation Malapportionment thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPB Comparative politics thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPA Political science and theory thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPH Political structure and processes::JPHF Elections and referenda / suffrage |
| url | https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/111772 |
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