The Politics of Electoral Systems

3 Units

Elections involve more than a simple act of voting to express individual preferences. The rules under which countries conduct elections determine who controls the executive and how votes are converted into legislative seats. The mechanics of various electoral arrangements will be examined in detail and the consequences for the political system discussed in terms of strategies and desired outcomes on the part of contestants in terms of democratic representation. Students will research individual countries and analyze recent elections from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives. Offered as POSC 363 and POSC 463 .