Contextual Determinants of Electoral System Choice - Ã bo Akademi

Electoral systems were adopted quite frequently during the 1960s. In 1969,however, no electoral system was introduced. The frequency of adopted systemswas quite low during the 1970s until a new peak was reached in 1978 with ninechoices. Few choices of electoral systems were implemented between 1981 and1989. However, the changes in the Communist world resulted in several new casesin the 1990s, 1993 being the culmination with 21 cases of electoral system choice.76543210Electoral system choice in democracies 1945-2003Figure 2.2. Frequencies of electoral system choice in democracies 1945-2003.The temporal spread of electoral system choice under democratic circumstances isgiven in figure 2.2. A similar pattern as in the previous figure is discernable but thepattern is not as clear as in the total population. Between 1945 and 1956, only tenelectoral systems were adopted in democratic countries. Thereafter, electoralsystem choice became a bit more popular: twelve cases emerged from 1958 to1966. Between 1967 and 1973, only Nauru and Fiji adopted electoral systems. Afrequent period of electoral system choice began in 1974; seven years later 16additional choices had taken place. Only three democratic cases are documentedbetween 1982 and 1990, two of which occurred in France. A revival of electoralsystem choice among democracies has occurred since 1991 – 20 cases areobserved between 1991 and 2003.54