Theory of State

Seminar 3: Elections and Electoral Systems

For our third seminar, please read the relevant chapter from Andrew Heywood's Politics. It's a great textbook and it will give you both an overview of the topic, as well as the necessary vocabulary for our class discussion. Please think about the discussion question included at the end of the chapter.

If you wish to write an essay on this topic, feel free to do so - I will gladly read it and give you some feedback.

Essay question

Having read Heywood's chapter on elections, you are now able to analyse electoral systems as well as voting behaviour. Compare the various types of elections in the Czech Republic (or Slovakia): local, regional, parliamentary (lower vs. upper chamber, in the Czech case), presidential, and European. How do the electoral systems differ (and why)? What are the patterns of voting behaviour in these various elections, in your opinion? (I.e., how do people decide whom they give their vote?)