Overview

During Latin America's third democratic wave, a majority of countries adopted a runoff rule for the election of the president, effectively dampening plurality voting, opening the political arena to new parties, and assuring the public that the president will never have anything less than majority support. In a region in which undemocratic political parties were common and have often been dominated by caudillos, cautious naysayers have voiced concerns about the runoff process, arguing that a proliferation of new political parties vying for power is a sign of inferior democracy. This book is the first rigorous assessment of the implications of runoff versus plurality rules throughout Latin America, and demonstrates that, in contrast to early scholarly skepticism about runoff, it has been positive for democracy in the region. Primarily through qualitative analysis for each country, the author argues that, indeed, an important advantage of runoff is the greater openness of the political arena to new parties--at the same time that measures can be taken to inhibit party proliferation. In this context, it is also the first volume to address whether or not a runoff rule with a reduced threshold (for example, 40% with a 10-point lead) is a felicitous compromise between majority runoff and plurality. The book considers the potential for the superiority of runoff to travel beyond Latin America--in particular, and rather provocatively, to the United States.

Full Product Details

Author:   Cynthia McClintock (Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, George Washington University)
Publisher:   Oxford University Press Inc
Imprint:   Oxford University Press Inc
Dimensions:   Width: 23.10cm , Height: 2.30cm , Length: 15.50cm
Weight:   0.476kg
ISBN:  

9780190879761

ISBN 10:   0190879769
Pages:   336
Publication Date:   10 May 2018
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
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Table of Contents

Acknowledgments Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: Research Design and Quantitative Analysis Chapter Three: Why Was Runoff Superior? Theory and Cross-National Evidence Chapter Four: Plurality: Problems in Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, and Venezuela (and the Panama Exception) Chapter Five: Runoff: Success in Brazil, Chile, The Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Uruguay Chapter Six: Runoff Amid a Plethora of Political Parties: Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Peru Chapter Seven: Runoff: Is a Reduced Threshold Better? Argentina and Costa Rica Chapter Eight: Conclusion and the Future of Presidential-Election Rules Appendices Notes Bibliography Index

Reviews

In this richly documented study, McClintock finds that democracies where presidential candidates need only a plurality of the vote to triumph are in serious danger of losing their popular legitimacy and eventually falling victim to tyranny. * Richard Feinberg, Foreign Affairs * In this exhaustively researched and well-written book, Cynthia McClintock argues persuasively that the ways that presidents are elected in Latin America - whether by a plurality of votes or in a run off - deeply impacts regime legitimacy, moderation, and the inclusiveness of party systems. Her broadly comparative and empirical study offers fresh insight into the ways that electoral design enhances or impedes democratic outcomes. * Cynthia Arnson, Director, Latin American Program, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars * McClintock's impressive book is the product of many years of scrupulous research and careful analysis. Drawing on vast empirical evidence in Latin America and challenging much conventional thinking, she cogently argues that a runoff is superior to a plurality rule in presidential elections. Her findings have important implications for the quality and legitimacy of democracy in Latin America and more widely. McClintock's valuable contribution will influence current debates among scholars and policymakers about the merits of electoral systems. * Michael Shifter, President, Inter-American Dialogue * This book makes an important, compelling argument: Latin America's democracies have benefitted from shifting toward electing their president employing run-off elections if no candidate initially receives a majority, instead of relying on single-round plurality elections. The author carefully explains why, relying on a judicious combination of methods, including statistical analysis, interviews and comparative case material, without ignoring the potential negative implications and trade-offs inherent in all electoral rules. * Jonathan Hartlyn, K. J. Reckford Professor of Political Science, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill * This is a very important and highly original contribution to the literature on presidentialism and electoral institutions, by a distinguished scholar of Latin American politics. Questioning prevailing academic wisdom, and systematically weighing the evidence from Latin America with multiple methods, Cynthia McClintock shows that runoff election rules are clearly superior to the plurality system for electing presidents. Runoff elections do in fact produce what could be logically predicted: more legitimate and ideologically moderate presidents, and a higher quality and vitality of democracy. This powerful finding should significantly shape not only academic analysis but also future thinking about institutional design and reform. * Larry Diamond, Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University *

In this exhaustively researched and well-written book, Cynthia McClintock argues persuasively that the ways that presidents are elected in Latin America - whether by a plurality of votes or in a run off - deeply impacts regime legitimacy, moderation, and the inclusiveness of party systems. Her broadly comparative and empirical study offers fresh insight into the ways that electoral design enhances or impedes democratic outcomes. * Cynthia Arnson, Director, Latin American Program, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars * McClintock's impressive book is the product of many years of scrupulous research and careful analysis. Drawing on vast empirical evidence in Latin America and challenging much conventional thinking, she cogently argues that a runoff is superior to a plurality rule in presidential elections. Her findings have important implications for the quality and legitimacy of democracy in Latin America and more widely. McClintock's valuable contribution will influence current debates among scholars and policymakers about the merits of electoral systems. * Michael Shifter, President, Inter-American Dialogue * This book makes an important, compelling argument: Latin America's democracies have benefitted from shifting toward electing their president employing run-off elections if no candidate initially receives a majority, instead of relying on single-round plurality elections. The author carefully explains why, relying on a judicious combination of methods, including statistical analysis, interviews and comparative case material, without ignoring the potential negative implications and trade-offs inherent in all electoral rules. * Jonathan Hartlyn, K. J. Reckford Professor of Political Science, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill * This is a very important and highly original contribution to the literature on presidentialism and electoral institutions, by a distinguished scholar of Latin American politics. Questioning prevailing academic wisdom, and systematically weighing the evidence from Latin America with multiple methods, Cynthia McClintock shows that runoff election rules are clearly superior to the plurality system for electing presidents. Runoff elections do in fact produce what could be logically predicted: more legitimate and ideologically moderate presidents, and a higher quality and vitality of democracy. This powerful finding should significantly shape not only academic analysis but also future thinking about institutional design and reform. * Larry Diamond, Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University *

Author Information

Cynthia McClintock is Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at George Washington University.

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