Includes bibliographical references (pages 181-184) and index.

Print version record.

Cover; Title; Copyright; Contents; Acknowledgements; 1 Introduction; Variety of electoral systems; The power of electoral systems; The continuity of electoral systems; Electoral systems in Britain; 2 What is an election?; Methods of decision-making; Elections and non-democratic decision-making; Democracy and elected bodies; Elections and voting versus markets: market failure; Elections and voting versus markets: problems with voting procedures; 3 The evolution of the Parliamentary electoral system; The development of territorial representation in Britain; The extent of the electorate.

The accountability of elected to electorsEquality of the vote; The elements of electoral systems; Concluding remarks; 4 Electoral systems and democracy; Introduction; The place of elections in democracy; Direct democracy; Representation; Elections, democracy and representation: aspects of aggregation; Conclusion; 5 Secret and open voting; Introduction; John Stuart Mill on voting as a public act; Simultaneous and serial voting: the role of ignorance; Arguments for openness; Arguments for secrecy; Conclusion; 6 The territorial dimension of elections; Introduction.

The advantages and disadvantages of territorial sub-unitsBritain: representing persons and places; Consequences of territorial representation; Concluding remarks; 7 Aggregating votes: rival systems; Introduction; Basic variables in electoral systems; Popular electoral systems; Conclusion; 8 Conclusion; Comparative perspectives; The value of different approaches; Choosing an electoral system; Notes; References; Index.

This text is designed to give students a comprehensive view of the British electoral system. Its innovative comparative and theoretical approach will provide a link between courses in British politics, comparative politics and political theory. The book looks at electoral systems in relation to democratic theory and examines the justification for modern electoral rules. It compares parliamentary elections with various other kinds of election, and it looks at the differences between British experience and that of other countries. Andrew Reeve and Alan Ware aim to inform the debate about whet.