A Theory of Parties and Electoral Systems

Richard S. Katz

• Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
• Year: 2007
• eBook ISBN: 9781421403212
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Comparative Politics
• Index: Politics & International Relations

Winner, George H. Hallett Award, 1998, Representation and Electoral Systems Organized Section of the American Political Science Association

Political parties and elections are the mainsprings of modern democracy. In this classic volume, Richard S. Katz explores the problem of how a given electoral system affects the role of political parties and the way in which party members are elected. He develops and tests a theory of the differences in the cohesion, ideological behavior, and issue orientation of Western parliamentary parties on the basis of the electoral systems under which they compete. A standard in the field of political theory and thought, The Theory of Parties and the Electoral System contributes to a better understanding of parliamentary party structures and demonstrates the wide utility of the rationalistic approach for explaining behavior derived from the self-interest of political actors.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Preface
• 1. Parties, Elections, and Democracy
• 2. Electoral Law
• 3. An Extensive Test 35
• 4. An Intensive Test: Electoral Experience
• 5. An Intensive Test: Campaign and Nomination
• 6. An Intensive Test: Vérification
• 7. Concluding Remarks
• Appendix A. Sampling
• Appendix B. Questionnaire
• Notes
• Index