Contextual Determinants of Electoral System Choice - Ã bo Akademi

electoral systems before the end of the Cold War. Decisions on electoral rules haveoften been taken within one of two circumstances – either constitutional drafterslack basic knowledge of different electoral systems and their consequences or,conversely, this knowledge is used for promoting electoral system design that isexpected to maximize their own representation (Reilly and Reynolds 1999: 23).Due to the prevailing interest in electoral system design and the debate overdifferent options concerning electoral system choice, the assertions of accidentalelectoral system choice above are not altogether true, and might, if the trendcontinues, be quite incorrect in the near future. Even though many electoral systemchoices have been accidental, there are always some reasons for introducing aparticular electoral system: “Electoral systems do not rise from a vacuum but frompolitical debate and struggle” (Taagepera and Shugart 1989b: 234). The choicemay be a result of e.g. colonial heritage, passing trends, partisan interests ofpolitical actors, conscious design, or a combination of circumstances. Still,surprisingly little attention has been given to the factors that shape electoralinstitutions in the early stages of their development or the ways in which theyevolve.In designing electoral systems, it is important to note that a given electoral systemwill not necessarily work the same way in different countries. Although electoralrules differ from each other with respect to their mechanical effects, the outcomesof a certain electoral system depend largely on the sociopolitical context in whichit is applied. For instance, the application of a plurality system in a divided society,in which parties are organized along ethnic lines, may have totally differentconsequences than in a culturally homogeneous country, in which the party systemreflects ideological issues. In addition to cultural structure divisions, consequencesof electoral systems also depend on regional divisions, i.e. whether minoritygroups are regionally concentrated or dispersed. A given electoral system may,furthermore, work differently with regard to the democratic stability of a country,and whether there is an established party system or a ‘party system’ made up ofembryonic, unformed and fragile parties (Reynolds and Reilly 1997: 8). Thesociopolitical context largely determines the appropriateness of an electoral system– a system that functions satisfactory in one society might be disastrous in another.“The ‘spin’ that an electoral system gives to the system is ultimately contextual and9