• How strong is the link between the electoral and party system?

-         Ball & Peters – strong, the effects of different electoral systems can be seen in the structures, ideologies and patterns of party             interaction and the number of parties that exist in a system. i.e. electoral systems influence how parties interact and the number of parties in a system.

-         Inevitable that electoral system affects relative strength and number of parties.

-         Change in electoral system could change voting habits. E.g. change in electoral system in French fourth republic in 1951 succeeded in weakening the legislative representation of the communists.

-         Plays major role in shaping the party system: single member constituency helps successful parties and distorts relationship between votes and seats, second ballot reduces the number of seats held on a minority vote etc.

-         Electoral system also influences the degree of discipline that parties can impose on their legislative representatives, and on whether parties reflect national or local interests and opinions.

-         Lecture Notes – electoral systems influence how vote share translates into seat share. E.g. how many parties are relevant based on distribution of seats in parliament and whether countries will have single party or coalition governments.

-         Doesn’t however explain differences within two or multi-party systems – link between party and electoral systems is not perfect.

-         Caramani – Electoral systems determine whether a country has a two party or a multi-party system, whether govt. is characteristically by one party or a coalition of parties, whether voters feel personally represented and whether women and minorities are heavily under-represented.

-         Single member constituency systems give advantage to strongest party and leave supporters of other parties unrepresented.

-         PR systems vary in degree of choice they offer voters.

-         Non PR systems are likely to engender a two party system especially as regards to distribution of seats.

      -         PR systems are more likely to lead to a multi-party system.

• What other institutional and behavioural factors are relevant?

-         Ball & Peters – Electoral systems are only one factor affecting nature of political systems. Social, economic and historical factors also have an effect.

-         Lecture Notes – Sociological approach that is based on societal differences e.g. party families.

-         Caramani – Nature of politicised cleavages in society has effect on party system.

• How much do rational choice explanations help?

-         Caramani – rational choice models help to interpret the transformation of parties from mass parties to ‘catch-all’ parties.

-         Models also help to interpret patterns of dealignment (the loosening of the relationship between parties and specific segments of the society).

-         However, limitations include that relationship between parties and voters is determined by a number of ‘non-rational’ factors i.e.  socio-economic conditions, party identification, political socialization, influence of the media. Empirical research shows that most voters vote according to those factors and not rational ones.