The most manipulative instrument of politics

Abstract In this introduction, we first discuss the differences between electoral systems and their effects. After briefly reviewing Rokkan’s (1970) two roads to electoral system choice, we explain how parties can manipulate electoral markets for partisan advantage. The following section summarizes our main argument, which emphasizes how parties’ ability to contain electoral threats relates to these parties’ preferences for electoral system choice. We argue that the use of containment measures provides a bridge that connects Rokkan’s two roads to electoral system choice. Subsequently, we discuss how we test our ‘neo-Rokkanian’ theory of electoral system choice empirically and why we focus on electoral system choice in first-wave democracies. The final section of this chapter previews the rest of the book.