The Party Politics of Electoral System Choice: Stacking the Deck in First-Wave Democracies

The Party Politics of Electoral System Choice explores the strategic manipulation of electoral systems by political actors to maintain access to 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 becaus