POLb1122 Electoral Engineering

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2024
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. PhDr. Roman Chytilek, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. Peter Spáč, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Jakub Šedo, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Michal Tóth, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Jakub Šedo, Ph.D.
Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Mgr. Lucie Pospíšilová
Supplier department: Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Thu 16:00–17:40 U41
Prerequisites (in Czech)
! POL276 Electoral Engineering && !NOW( POL276 Electoral Engineering )
Kurs nemá formálně žádné prerekvizity, před jeho zápisem ovšem rozhodně doporučujeme seznámení s problematikou volebních systémů (např. v kursu Volební systémy).
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 61 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 9/61, only registered: 0/61, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/61
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 29 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The main aim of the course is to provide information about the growing discipline of "electoral engineering". Moreover, students will be introduced into the analysis of the implemented and non-implemented electoral reforms including the very up-to date discussion on the last trends of electoral engineering and its place in the political science.
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course, the students should be able: - to understand why electoral reforms take place;
- to absorb body of knowledge about electoral engineering;
- to evaluate effects of various electoral reforms;
- to create reform proposals of their own;
Syllabus
  • 1. Introductory Lesson 2. The merits and limits of electoral engineering 3. The politics of electoral reforms 4. Electoral design in divided societies 5. Electoral Engineerïng in the Czech Republic 6. Electoral Engineering in Slovakia 7. Electoral Engineering in East Central and Eastern Europe 8. Reforms in South Europe 9. Reforms and personalisation of voting 10.-13. Seminars, Presentation of Projects, Discussion about position papers, Expert´s lectures
Literature
    required literature
  • CHYTILEK, Roman, Jakub ŠEDO, Tomáš LEBEDA and Dalibor ČALOUD. Volební systémy (Electoral Systems). 2. rozšířené. Praha: Portál, 2009, 376 pp. Politologie. ISBN 978-80-7367-548-6. info
  • FARRELL, David M. Electoral systems : a comparative introduction. 2nd ed. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011, xiii, 279. ISBN 9780230546783. info
  • SARTORI, Giovanni. Srovnávací ústavní inženýrství : zkoumání struktur, podnětů a výsledků. Translated by Jana Ogrocká. Vyd. 1. Praha: Sociologické nakladatelství, 2001, 238 s. ISBN 808585094X. info
  • Mixed-member electoral systems : the best of both worlds? Edited by Matthew Soberg Shugart - Martin P. Wattenberg. 1st pub. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003, xxiv, 656. ISBN 019925768X. info
  • Soundriette, R.- Ellis A. (2006): A Global Snapshot, In Diamond, L.- Plattner, M.F. Electoral Systems and Democracy, Baltimore: John Hopkins UP
  • ČALOUD, Dalibor and Tomáš FOLTÝN. Electoral engineering in use? The case of Italy. Evropská volební studia. Brno: ISPO FSS MU, 2006, Vol. I, No. 2, p. 185-195. ISSN 1801-6545. info
  • Reilly, B. (2006): Dealing with Divided Societies, In Diamond, L.- Plattner, M.F. Electoral Systems and Democracy, Baltimore: John Hopkins UP
  • Tomuschat, Christian (2012): Germany´s Mixed-Member Electoral System: A Victim of its Sophistication? German Law Journal, Vol. 13, No. 5, s. 213-237
  • Carey, J. M.- Hix S. 2011. The Electoral Sweet Spot. Low- Magnitude Proportional Electoral Systems. American Journal of Political Science 55, 2, s. 383 – 397.
  • SPÁČ, Peter. Tichý hlas voličov. Preferenčné hlasovanie v slovenských parlamentných voľbách. (The Silent Voice of Voters. Preferential Voting in Slovak Parliamentary Elections.). 1. vyd. Brno: Centrum pro studium demokracie a kultury, 2013, 236 pp. Politologická řada, svazek č. 41. ISBN 978-80-7325-317-2. info
    recommended literature
  • NORRIS, Pippa. Electoral engineering : voting rules and political behavior. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004, xi, 375. ISBN 0521536715. URL info
  • ČALOUD, Dalibor. Volební systém a volební inženýrství: současný stav a možné změny. In ČALOUD, Dalibor, Tomáš FOLTÝN, Vlastimil HAVLÍK and Anna MATUŠKOVÁ. Volby do Poslanecké sněmovny v roce 2006. Brno: CDK, 2006, p. 145 - 163. ISBN 80-7325-108-6. info
  • McLean, I.-Lorrey, H.-Colomer, J.M. (2008): Social Choice in Medieval Europe, Electronic Journal for History of Probability and Statistics, Vol.4 No.1,
  • Colomer, J.M. (2005): It's Parties That Choose Electoral Systems (or, Duverger's Laws Upside Down), Political Studies, 53:1, s. 1-21
  • Patrikios, S - Kariotys, G. (2008) 'The Greek Parliamentary Election of 2007', Electoral Studies, vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 356-359
  • Gschwend, T.- Kolk van der Henk (2007): Split Ticket Voting in Mixed Member Proportional Systems: The Hypothetical Case of The Netherlands, Acta Politica, 41, s. 163-176
  • Carey, J. M. - Shugart, M. S. (1995): Incentives to Cultivate a Personal Vote: a Rank Ordering of Electoral Formulas, Electoral Studies, Vol. 14, No. 4, pp. 417-439.
  • Benoit, K. (2004): Models of Electoral System Change. Electoral Studies 23: 363-389.
  • BOWLER, Shaun and Todd DONOVAN. The limits of electoral reform. 1st ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013, 164 s. ISBN 9780199695409. info
  • SZPIRO, George G. Numbers rule : the vexing mathematics of democracy, from Plato to the present. Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2010, xi, 226. ISBN 9780691139944. info
  • SPÁČ, Peter. Priama a zastupiteľská demokracia na Slovensku. Volebné reformy a referendá po roku 1989 (Direct and Representative Democracy in Slovakia. Electoral Reforms and Referendums since 1989). 1. vyd. Brno: Centrum pro studium demokracie a kultury, 2010, 278 pp. Ediční řada ISPO, svazek č. 14. ISBN 978-80-7325-238-0. info
  • RENWICK, Alan. The politics of electoral reform : changing the rules of democracy. New York, N.Y.: Cambridge University Press, 2010, xiv, 312. ISBN 9780521765305. URL info
  • ŠEDO, Jakub. Volební systémy postkomunistických zemí. 1. vyd. Brno: Centrum pro studium demokracie a kultury (CDK), 2007, 419 s. ISBN 9788073251376. info
  • The politics of electoral systems. Edited by Michael Gallagher - Paul Mitchell. First published. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005, xxxii, 662. ISBN 9780199238675. info
Teaching methods
The course has two inseparable modules: lectures and expert presentations, followed by a class discussions.
Assessment methods
Students can receive 40 points maximum. Distribution of points is as follows: 6 points for active participation in the seminars); 2x5 points for the position papers, 24 points for the written exam. Grading: A. 40 - 37 B. 36 – 33 C. 32 - 30 D. 29 - 27 E. 26 - 24 F. 23 -
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught once in two years.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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