Mixed compensatory systems (some call them “mixed-member proportional systems”), are praised for combining "the best of both worlds.” Yet, we know fairly little about their outcomes in practice. We still lack a genuine model that explains how many compensation seats are needed for the outcome to be proportional. Without this knowledge we will neither be able to estimate how many parties we expe...

The adoption of mandatory gender quotas in party lists has been a subject of discussion in many countries. Since any reform obviously requires the approval of a (sometimes qualified) majority of incumbent legislators’ votes, keeping an eye on incumbents’ interests and incentives in different systems seems a natural thing to do if we want to understand different prospects for reforms in differen...

The Nematodes are roundworms that are found in every environment of the earth. While some species are harmful parasites, others play a vital role in nutrient cycle and medical research. Nematode infestation in the fields is poly-specific; however, depending on the agro-climatic conditions, one or two species are dominant over the rest. The present studies attempts to observe and control the roo...

A ranking exists in electoral systems research of different electoral formulas—the mathematical functions governing the conversion of votes into legislative seats—in terms of both proportionality of seats and votes and favorability to the largest party. I reexamine this issue with new methods and new evidence, attempting to cross-validate previous rankings using a larger and more controlled dat...

Following Kreuzer’s (2010) methodological pleas, I first reflect, at the conceptual level, on the ways in which historical research and political science should be related to each other. I then apply some of those considerations to examine two key “moments” in the theory (and history) of institutional choice that I first presented in Boix (1999): the underlying conditions that shaped the intere...

This article presents, discusses and tests the hypothesis that it is the number of parties what can explain the choice of electoral systems, rather than the other way round. Already existing political parties tend to choose electoral systems that, rather than generate new party systems by themselves, will crystallize, consolidate or reinforce previously existing party configurations. A general ...

The Nematodes are roundworms that are found in every environment of the earth. While some species are harmful parasites, others play a vital role in nutrient cycle and medical research. Nematode infestation in the fields is poly-specific; however, depending on the agro-climatic conditions, one or two species are dominant over the rest. The present studies attempts to observe and control the roo...

Austria went to the polls on Sunday, May 25 to elect 18 members of the European Parliament, one fewer than in 2009 due to the European Union (EU) membership of Croatia. The electoral system used for the European elections is the same as for the national elections, but instead of 39 constituencies there is only a single national constituency. The electoral system is a proportional system with a ...