Electoral Systems ─ A Comparative Introduction

Electoral Systems examines the principal types of electoral system currently in use in more than seventy of the world's democracies: single member plurality, alternative vote, two-round systems, list proportional representation (PR) systems, single transferable vote, and the currently fashionable mixed-member systems, which come in 'proportional' and 'majoritarian' forms.

This substantially revised, updated and expanded second edition has a broader geographical coverage than the previous edition, and includes analysis of the key developments in this popular field of political science. Clearly written and systematically presented, the book provides comparative coverage of a wide range of democratic states and makes full use of authentic ballot papers and real-world examples to illustrate how electoral systems operate. Farrell concludes by assessing the factors affecting design and reform, and the consequences of electoral systems for political systems.

David M. Farrell is Professor of Politics and Head of the School of Politics and International Relations at University College Dublin, Ireland.