The newest volume in the acclaimed Journal of Democracy series addresses electoral systems and democracy. As the number of democracies has increased around the world, a heated debate has emerged among experts about which system best promotes the consolidation of democracy. Is proportional representation, a majoritarian system, a mixture of the two, or some other system the best for new democracies? This book compares the experiences of diverse countries, from Latin America to southern Africa, from Uruguay, Japan, and Taiwan to Israel, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Contributors: Joel D. Barkan, Jeffrey Cason, Adeed Dawisha, Larry Diamond, Andrew Ellis, Ken Gladdish, Donald Horowitz, Guy Lardeyret, Arend Lijphart, Jih-wen Lin, Emanuele Ottolenghi, Marc F. Plattner, Quentin L. Quade, Benjamin Reilly, Andrew Reynolds, David Samuels, Richard Snyder, Richard Soudriette, R. Kent Weaver
Acknowledgments
Introduction
I. Electorial Systems and Institutional Design
1. A Primer for Decision Makers
2. A Gobal Snapshot
3. Dealing with Divided Societies
4. The Case for Power Sharing
5. The Impact of Federalism
II. Is Proportional Representation Best?
6. Constitutional Choices for New Democracies
7. The Problem with PR
8. PR and Democratic Statecraft
9. Double-Checking the Evidence
10. The Primary of the Particular
III. Country and Regional Experiences
11. Constitutional Engineering in Southern Africa
12. Comment: Elections in Agrarian Societies
13. Rejoinder: The Case for Proportionality
14. Electoral Reform and Stability in Uruguary
15. Devaluing the Vote in Latin America
16. Why Direct Election Failed in Israel
17. The Politics of Reform in Japan and Taiwan
18. The Curious Case of Afghanistan
19. Iraq's Year of Voting Dangerously
Index
