Chapter 15 - Comparative Government and Politics, 11th Edition

Elections in which the stakes are highest, usually involving the possibility of a change of government.

Elections in which the stakes are lower, such as local or mid-term elections.

A general term for the rules governing an election, including the structure of the ballot (e.g. how many candidates are listed per party), the electoral formula (how votes are converted to seats), and districting (the division of the territory into separate constituencies).

A general term for the rules governing an election, including the structure of the ballot (e.g. how many candidates are listed per party), the electoral formula (how votes are converted to seats), and districting (the division of the territory into separate constituencies).

An electoral system based on districts that each have one representative, and in which the winner is the candidate with the most votes.

An electoral system in which the number of seats won by each of the competing parties is proportional to the number of votes they each win.

A commission to act on another’s behalf in a specific area. An election mandate is an authorization from the people for the government to follow a particular course.

Rules specifying how a winning candidate’s votes must be arranged across different regions or social groups.

A vote of the electorate on a limited issue of public policy such as a constitutional amendment.

A phenomenon (associated mainly with the United States) involving the deliberate redrawing of electoral districts to favour one political party over another.

A procedure which allows citizens to initiate a popular vote on a given proposal (a referendum initiative) or to place it on the legislature’s agenda (an agenda initiative).

A popular vote on whether an elected official should be removed from office during normal tenure.

A form of electoral fraud in which a person limited by law to a single vote is able to cast multiple votes in a single booth or to vote in multiple locations.