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Electoral systems and their disproportionality: a review of cross-countries studise

Shine-ching Hsieh
1995 / 11
Volume 2, No.2

pp.137-170
Paper

Abstract

Cross-countries studies of the disproportionality of various elec-toral systems have become a popular topic in academic circles. How-ever, the definition, operationalization, and classification of electoral system variables have methodological flaws. This paper will examine the deficiencies of previous Cross-countries studies. Concepts concerning electoral districts, such as electoral formula, district magnitude, and legal thresholds are fairly clear. However, at the national level, the electoral system may include many electoral districts or dual electoral levels. Because of this, scholars have constructed 1) national electoral formula, 2) average or effective dis-trict magnitude, and 3)effective threshold. Still, the definition, operati-onalization, and classification of these concepts have all been criticized. In addition, when used in Cross-countries studies there have been glaring methodological errors. Furthermore, at the national level, electoral formula and district magnitude have only limited influence on disproportionality. In this light, existing Cross-countries studies of electoral disproportionality are flawed and must be improved. In this paper I propose that the best method for this lies primarily in the identification of possible influences on electoral disproportional-ity at the national level.

Keywords

Average district magnitude

Cross-countries studies

Disproportionality

Effective magnitude

Effective threshold

Electoral formula

Electoral systems