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.

REQUIRED TEXTS:
Rein Taagepera and Matthew Shugart, Seats and Votes (1989), paper.
Arend Lijphart, Electoral Systems and Party Systems (1994), paper.
Gary Cox, Making Votes Count, 1997

Recommended:
Arend Lijphart, Democracies (1984), paper

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, 10 December, 8AM -- covers the entire course.

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.

October 22. Guest Lecture

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. Cox 1997
Duverger's propositions
On electoral systems
Strategic voting: M=1, single ballot
Strategic voting: M>1

8. Student presentations. Cox 1997
Strategic voting, M=1 dual ballot
strategic voting
putting constituencies together
electoral institutions, cleavages, number of parties

9. Student presentations; Cox 1997
Coordination failures, representation, dominant parties
Coordination failures and realignments. Conclusions
Review: Interaction between operationalization, measurement, and models. Designing electoral laws and campaigning in Estonia.

10. Paper Deadline
Student research presentations.