No subject is more central to the study of politics than elections. All across the globe, elections are a focal point for citizens, the media, and politicians long before--and sometimes long after--they occur. Electoral systems, the rules about how voters' preferences are translated into election results, profoundly shape the results not only of individual elections but also of many other important political outcomes, including party systems, candidate selection, and policy choices. Electoral systems have been a hot topic in established democracies from the UK and Italy to New Zealand and Japan. Even in the United States, events like the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections and court decisions such as Citizens United have sparked advocates to promote change in the Electoral College, redistricting, and campaign-finance rules. Elections and electoral systems have also intensified as a field of academic study, with groundbreaking work over the past decade sharpening our understanding of how electoral systems fundamentally shape the connections among citizens, government, and policy. This volume provides an in-depth exploration of the origins and effects of electoral systems.

1. Terminology and Basic Rules of Electoral Systems Erik S. Herron, Robert J. Pekkanen, and Matthew S. Shugart Part I. Foundations of Electoral Systems 2. Dimensions of Variation in Electoral Systems Michael Gallagher and Paul Mitchell 3. Electoral System Effects on Party Systems Matthew S. Shugart and Rein Taagepera 4. Party System Effects on Electoral Systems Josep M. Colomer 5. Electoral System Design in New Democracies John M. Carey 6. Electoral System Change Alan Renwick Part II. Issues and Representation 7. Social Diversity, Electoral Systems, and the Party System Robert Moser, Ethan Scheiner, and Heather Stoll 8. Electoral Systems and Ethnic Minority Representation David Lublin and Shaun Bowler 9. Electoral Systems and Women's Representation Mona Lena Krook 10. Electoral Systems and Voter Turnout Daniel M. Smith 11. Electoral Systems and Citizen-Elite Ideological Congruence Matthew Golder and Benjamin Ferland 12. Electoral Systems and Issue Polarization James F. Adams and Nathan J. Rexford Part III. Electoral Systems and the Wider Political System 13. Portfolio-maximizing Strategic Voting in Parliamentary Elections Gary W. Cox 14. Presidential and Legislative Elections Mark P. Jones 15. Electoral Systems and Legislative Organization Shane Martin 16. Electoral Systems and Roles in the Legislative Arena Audrey André and Sam Depauw 17. Electoral Systems and Constituency Service Brian F. Crisp and William M. Simoneau 18. Direct Democracy and Referendums Matt Qvortrup 19. Electoral Systems in Authoritarian States Jennifer Gandhi and Abigail L. Heller Part IV. Electoral Systems and Research Design 20. Election Data and Levels of Analysis Ken Kollman 21. Experimental Research Design in the Study of Electoral Systems Joshua Tucker and Dominik Duell 22. Reconciling Approaches in the Study of Mixed-Member Electoral Systems Erik S. Herron, Kuniaki Nemoto, and Misa Nishikawa Part V. Holding Elections 23. Election Administration Thad E. Hall 24. Electoral Systems and Electoral Integrity Pippa Norris 25. Electoral Systems and Redistricting Lisa Handley 26. Electoral Systems and Campaign Finance Joel W. Johnson Part VI. Electoral Systems in Context 27. Electoral Systems in Context: The Netherlands Kristof Jacobs 28. Electoral Systems in Context: Israel Reuven Y. Hazan, Reut Itzkovitch-Malka, and Gideon Rahat 29. Electoral Systems in Context: Finland Åsa von Schoultz 30. Electoral Systems in Context: United Kingdom Thomas Carl Lundberg 31. Electoral Systems in Context: Ireland Michael Marsh 32. Electoral Systems in Context: France Verónica Hoyo 33. Electoral Systems in Context: India Adam Ziegfeld 34. Electoral Systems in Context: United States Steven L. Taylor 35. Electoral Systems in Context: Canada Louis Massicotte 36. Electoral Systems in Context: Australia Ian McAllister and Toni Makkai 37. Electoral Systems in Context: Germany Thomas Zittel Part VII. Electoral Systems in the Context of Reform 38. Electoral Systems in Context: New Zealand Jack Vowles 39. Electoral Systems in Context: Japan Kuniaki Nemoto 40. Electoral Systems in Context: Italy Gianluca Passarelli 41. Electoral Systems in Context: Colombia Steven L. Taylor and Matthew S. Shugart Part VIII. Electoral Systems in the Context of New Democracies 42. Electoral Systems in Context: Ukraine Erik S. Herron 43. Electoral Systems in Context: Indonesia Nathan Allen 44. Electoral Systems in Context: South Africa Karen E. Ferree

Edited by Erik S. Herron , Eberly Family Distinguished Professor of Political Science, West Virginia University, UNITED STATES

Edited by Robert J. Pekkanen , Professor in the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington

Edited by Matthew S. Shugart , Distinguished Professor of Political Science, University of California, Davis

Erik S. Herron is the Eberly Family Distinguished Professor of Political Science at West Virginia University. Robert J. Pekkanen is Professor at the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, Adjunct Professor of Political Science, and Adjunct Professor of Sociology at the University of Washington. Matthew S. Shugart is Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Davis, and Affiliated Professor at the University of Haifa.

"The Oxford Handbook of Electoral Systems is a massive store of knowledge and information, with many of its chapters providing valuable and accessible resources" -- Ron Johnston, LSE Review of Books

"The book approaches the topic of elections and electoral system by employing the more quantitative analysis aspects of the topic, and is written for those who are currently working in the fields or looking to join. The content, while dense with statistical analysis, is well written and is easily read and digested. It is not for the casual reader or one who doesn't want to take a deep dive into the topics, but is an excellent resource for a researcher or upper-level student who is participating in advanced studies of elections and electoral systems." --G. Johnson, Knox College, CHOICE