Contextual Determinants of Electoral System Choice - Ã bo Akademi

socialism and the effective number of non-socialist parties), the log of thepopulation, and the log of the number of years since the earliest observation intheir logit model. The findings are in line with the assumptions. Both substantivevariables, a democratic environment and majority, have a statistically significanteffect on the propensity of PR reform. Concerning majority, however, the resultsare significant only at the 0.1 level. The adoption of PR was also more plausible insmaller countries. The hypothesis that PR was more frequently adopted incountries where the right-wing parties faced a serious socialist threat is notconfirmed (2005: 186-190). The variables of interest in the article are not includedin my study, because Blais, Dobrzynska and Indridason focus exclusively on theadoption of PR, which in turn requires a different research design than a generalstudy of electoral system choice.3.2.2 A Frame of ReferenceIn a book on causes and effects of institutional choices, Lauri Karvonen (2003: 32)presents three different kinds of explanations: (1) a historical perspective, (2)dispersion and/or diffusion, and (3) a rational approach. First, the historicalapproach regards the existence of present institutions against the background of anation’s historical development. Some historical features are preserved whileothers are rejected. Contemporary political institutions are considered as areflection of past institutional arrangements. The second approach regardsinstitutional choices as a matter of dispersion and/or diffusion. Lijphart, forinstance, points out that the adoption of political institutions has largely beendetermined by geographical, cultural and colonial factors. These factors are at thesame time highly interrelated. Nearly located countries often share a similarculture. Colonial powers, albeit to a varying extent, have transferred their values,political tradition and culture to the colonies. Geographical location, culture andcolonial legacy represent various forms of diffusion. Another similar cause hasbeen voluntary imitation of successful democracies (Lijphart 1991a: 74-75).According to the rational approach, countries adopt institutions that correspond tothe particular needs of their societies (Karvonen 2003: 32). An institution is not anend in itself – there is a specific purpose for its existence. Societies with differentsociopolitical conditions have different needs, and they consequently adoptdifferent political institutions. In other words, the specific structure of a society is68