"This is an essential book for anyone who wants to make an informed choice about what voting system best
fits a community or state."
--Endorsement From Rob Richie, Executive Director, The Center For Voting and Democracy
"Finally, a well-written and comprehensive guide to how voting systems work and why they are so important
to the democratic process. This useful and thought-provoking book is essential reading for anyone interested in
revitalizing American elections and creating a more representative and responsive government."
--Endorsement From Lani Guinier, Professor, Harvard Law School:
"Doug Amy's clearly organized and lucid explanation of how electoral systems work provides a framework for
constructive debate."
--Endorsement From Kathleen L. Barber, Professor of Political Science (retired), John Carroll University:
Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. Web Site, June, 2002
Summary
Interest in voting systems and voting system reform is growing in the United States. Voting systems--the procedures
by which we cast votes and elect our public officials--are a crucial part of the democratic election process. The
decision to use one kind of voting system rather than another has far-reaching political consequences. Among other
things, voting systems help to determine which officials are elected to run our governments, the variety of parties
that voters have to choose from at the polls, whether political minorities can win any representation, and whether
the majority will rule.
Amy gives readers all the information and analytical tools needed to make intelligent choices among voting systems.
He provides a set of political criteria that can be used to judge voting systems and gives detailed descriptions
of all the common voting systems used in the United States and other Western democracies, including winner-take-all
systems as well as proportional representation systems. He also provides an analysis of the various political advantages
and disadvantages associated with each type of system. This is an important guide for citizens, government officials,
political activists, students, and anyone who wants to learn more about voting systems and their political implications.
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction
What Are Voting Systems and Why Are They Important?
Criteria for Evaluating Voting Systems
Plurality-Majority Voting Systems
Proportional Representation Voting Systems
Semi-Proportional Voting Systems
Voting Systems for Single-Office Elections
Making Your Final Choice
Appendixes
Selected Bibliography
Index
