Electoral Systems and Political Transformation in Post-Communist Europe
assesses the influence of electoral systems on political change in 20
post-communist European states. The main finding is that electoral
institutions have systematic effects on the formation of representative
structures. 'Party-enabling' aspects of electoral laws such as list
proportional representation tend to foster popular inclusion in politics
and institutionalized party systems, whereas 'politician-enabling' rules
such as single-member districts and ballots that allow voters to select
individuals often favour the development of weakly structured systems
and high levels of popular exclusion from the representative process.