Contextual Determinants of Electoral System Choice - Ã bo Akademi

made at the same time, put in concrete form by adopting a new constitution,thereby making the distance between the choice of electoral system and the choiceof other institutions practically non-existent. In this context, however, the choice ofa particular system is regarded as dependent on the presence or adoption of otherspecific political institutions. Thereby, electoral system choice constitutes thedependent variable, at least in a theoretical sense. Nevertheless, it is obvious thate.g. cultural diversity and size are of greater importance as explanatory variablesthan factors which are akin to the explained object.Is the strategy of analyzing electoral system choice from three differentperspectives justified? Why not regard choice on the basis of structural traits andsocietal needs as the rationale of electoral system choice, and accordinglyconcentrate on a single rational approach? Electoral system choice as aconsequence of prevailing ethnic composition, country size and party systemstructure, on the one hand, and choices dependent on other political institutions, onthe other, might both be regarded as rational solutions, even though there aredifferences between the two as evident from above. A single perspective thatconsiders electoral system choice as dependent on prevailing structural conditionsimplies inevitably a narrower frame of reference than the chosen one. This is arather unexplored topic, at least in its entirety, and in order to break new ground abroad design is needed. A survey of the basic literature on the origin of politicalinstitutions in general and electoral institutions in particular results in a frameworkconsisting of rational, cultural and institutional forms of explanation. It should berepeated that this study is not concerned with rational choice analysis in a propersense. The term rational implies, firstly, that an electoral system is regarded as anappropriate solution given some structural traits, and, secondly, that electoralsystems are chosen by political actors, who prefer particular electoralarrangements.3.2.3 The Rational PerspectiveThe rational approach to electoral system choice maintains that electoral systemsserve certain purposes. It is largely concerned with deliberate design of electoralrules on the basis of the sociopolitical conditions of a society. According to thisview, the structural differences between countries explain variations in electoralsystem design. First, we need to specify what is meant by electoral system design,70