Seminar and lectures, three hours. Prerequisite: graduate status or instructor's permission. There is a final exam and research paper.

The class examines comparative political institutions, especially the analysis of electoral systems, party systems, and presidential-parliamentary structures.

Emphasis: How to produce, test and use quantitative theoretical models. The electoral systems are approached as an example of the scientific study of politics: Interaction between operationalization, measurement and models.

OFFICE HOURS:

SSPB 2225 Tu 1-2 (plus whenever the instructor is in)

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Rein Taagepera and Matthew Shugart, Seats and Votes (1989), paper.

Arend Lijphart, Electoral Systems and Party Systems (1994), paper.

Matthew Shugart and John Carey, Presidents and Assemblies (1992), paper.

Recommended:

Arend Lijphart, Democracies (1984), paper

Noted:

Mark Jones, Electoral Laws and the Survival of Presidential Democracies (1995).

Arend Lijphart and Carlos Waisman, eds. Institutional Design in New Democracies: Eastern Europe and Latin America (1996).

GRADING:

Final exam, 30% -- open book and open notes

Research paper, 30%

Participation and talks, 30%

Whatever is highest, 10%

The research paper can be on any comparative institutions. It is NOT restricted to electoral and party systems. The paper should be around 30pp., including tables, graphs, etc.

Final exam: Thursday, 20 March, 8AM -- covers the entire course. Corrected exam papers can be picked up from my secretary starting the following Tuesday.

Week:
1
Lijphart (1984) -- quick overview
Taagepera and Shugart, chs 1-8: Why study electoral systems
The general features of electoral systems and the variables involved.
New Zealand and Finland as examples. History of the study of electoral
systems. How to study electoral systems. Proportionality profiles.
Effective number of parties.

2.
Taagepera and Shugart, ch 9-12: Political issue dimensions
Deviation from proportionality. Magnitude as the decisive factor.
Adjustment seats, thresholds, and effective magnitude.
3.
Taagepera and Shugart, ch. 13-16: Generalized Duverger's rule. Cube rule
and seat-vote equations. The cube root law of assembly sizes. Prediction of proportionality profiles.

4.
Taagepera and Shugart, ch. 17-19: Overview of components and relations in
electoral systems. Designing electoral systems. Implications for the
scientific study of politics. Review: interaction between
operationalization, measurement and models. Designing electoral laws and
campaigning in Estonia.

5.
Student presentations; Lijphart, ch. 1-4: Goals and methods. Electoral systems.
Thresholds, etc. Disproportionality and multipartyism. Changes in electoral rules.

6.
Student presentations. Lijphart, ch. 5-7. Bi- and multivariate analysis.
Four other explanations. Designing electoral systems.

7.
Student presentations. Shugart and Carey, ch. 1-5: Basic choices. Defining
presidential regimes. Presidentialism, pro and con. Premier-presidential
and president-parliamentary. Constitutional origins.

8.
Student presentations. Shugart and Carey, ch. 6-10: Constitutional limits.
Legislative powers of presidents. Assessing them. Electoral
dynamics. Electoral rules and the party system.

9.
Student presentations; Shugart and Carey, ch. 11-13. Electoral cycles and
the party system. Electoral cycles and compatibility. Conclusions.
Jones--what does he add to Shugart and Carey
Lijphart and Waisman--Institutional Design

10.
Paper Deadline
Student research presentations.