Reading Available in the Book Center:

Douglas Amy, Real Choices, New Voices: The Case for Proportional Representation Elections in the U.S. (Columbia University Press, 1993)

David Butler and Bruce Cain, Congressional Districting: Comparative and Theoretical Perspectives (Macmillan, New Topics in Politics, 1992)

Bernard Grofman and Chandler Davidson, eds., Controversies in Minority Voting: The Voting Rights Act in Perspective (Brookings Institution, 1992)

Note: Additional required readings that will be distributed periodically in class. A packet of introductory readings will be distributed on the first day of class.
 

Course Description:

Americans tend to believe that the cure for many political problems is to conduct more elections, but at the same time most Americans remain largely unaware of the great variety of alternative democratic electoral methods. The first part of the course will systematically examine electoral systems that have been proposed or that are in actual use around the world and their apparent consequences for the representation of parties, interests, and groups -- especially those with minority status -- in legislatures, executives, governments, and policy outcomes. The latter part of the course will pay special attention to current controversies arising under the U.S. "single-member district/plurality" electoral system: legislative apportionment, gerrymandering, and the interpretation and implementation of the Voting Rights Act. Because abstract electoral system are amenable to logical analysis and the working of actual systems are amenable to statistical analysis, this is an area in which political science is relatively advanced and political scientists can offer real expertise. At the same time, because no "ideal" electoral system exists and tradeoffs must always be made among competing values and considerations, it is an area of study that exhibits substantial and continuing disagreement and argument.
 

Potential Students and Prerequisites:

This is an upper-level political science course, recommended especially for political science majors seeking to do relatively advanced study. The prerequisite is junior standing or the consent of instructor. POLI 325 (Political Parties and Elections) or a similar course, together with POLI 300 (Quantitative Research Methods) or a similar course, provide useful preparation, but there is no indispensable course prerequisite.

This course is open to non-Political Science majors with little or course background in Political Science, but such students are especially encouraged to consult with the instructor before enrolling.

By arrangement with the Honors College, this is a designated course for upper-level honors students. It is open for honors credit to Honors Students in any major who either (a) have taken a basic course in Political Science or (b) have a serious interest in the subject. It is also open to graduate students, especially in the Policy Sciences Graduate Program, and may be taken for graduate credit under the POLI 610A rubric. Honors student and graduate students will be expected to complete more ambitious projects.
 

Course Objectives

The course has these pedagogical objectives:

(1) to familiarize students with public issues concerning electoral systems and representation and to increase their awareness of the issues at stake in the choice of electoral institutions;

(2) to introduce students to political science research at a relatively advanced level and to the theoretical and normative concerns of political science with respect to the electoral process and representation; and

(3) to develop students' analytical, research, and oral and written presentation skills.

The course requirements and grading system have been designed to measure each student's accomplishment of these goals. Grades will reflect level of individual achievement; there are no grade quotas.
 

Class Schedule and Format:

The course schedule and format will be quite flexible and will depend in part on the number of students who enroll and their backgrounds, preparation, and interests. Thus the attached course outline is sketchy, and specifics (including additional distributed readings) will be filled during the course of the semester. But in any event, the enrollment will certainly be small, so the class can, to a considerable extent, be held in a seminar format.
 

Course Requirements:

(1) Faithful and timely completion of all required readings, regular class attendance and constructive participation in class discussions. Many classes will be taught largely in a seminar format, with heavy emphasis on student participation.

(2) Responsibility for making several class presentations, summarizing and guiding discussion on a particular required reading.

(3) A one-hour midterm exam, tentatively scheduled for March 13.

(4) A research project, the results of which will be presented both orally in class and in a written paper. (The project is described further below and more detailed guidelines will be distributed early in the semester.)

(5) A final exam on May 17, covering the second part of the course (including student presentations).
 

Exams:

The exams will be written "bluebook" exams (no multiple-choice, etc.), combining short written answers and longer essays. Make-up exams will be given only if you present a reasonable and timely excuse for not taking the exam at the regular time. Ordinarily, a "timely" excuse is one that reaches me or the Political Science Secretary prior to the regular exam time, and the make-up exam must be arranged and completed prior to the next class meeting if possible.
 

Research Project:

Your research project will be on a topic pertaining to electoral systems and representation that is of interest to you and has been approved by me. Since student topics should not overlap unduly, some negotiations may be required. Two students may collaborate on a single research project with my permission, but quantitative expectations will be increased accordingly.
 

While conceptual, theoretical, or statistical research projects are quite acceptable, you probably will do better to chose an empirical case study exemplifying some general topic considered in class. Probably your research project will fall in one of these three categories:

(a) an in-depth case study of the electoral institutions in a particular country or jurisdiction;

(b) a comparative case study of a particular electoral system used in several countries;

(c) an in-depth case study of some decennial reapportionment or redistricting in a particular state; or

(d) an in-depth case study of a court case, or some issue not yet the subject of litigation, arising under the Voting Rights Act (or the Equal Protection Clause).

Class presentations will be scheduled during the final two or three weeks of the semester, depending on class size. If class size permits, approximately 50 minutes will be devoted to each presentation -- about 25 minutes for the presentation itself and 25 minutes for questions, comments, and discussion.

The final paper should be typed or word processed in appropriate format. The expected length is about 15-20 pages for single-authored papers, longer for collaborative papers and papers written by students taking the course for honors or graduate credit.

Further information for the research project, including research and writing guidelines, general bibliographic information, and an extensive Bibliography on Electoral Systems and Representation will be distributed within a few weeks.

Schedule for completion of project (subject to adjustment):

By February 13: Submit proposed topic for project

By February 20: Final approval of topics by instructor

By March 13: Submit preliminary outline and bibliography for project

By April 17: Submit detailed outline or preliminary draft of paper

Prior to presentation: Preliminary draft returned with comments

Class presentations April 24-May 9:

By May 16: Submit final paper
 

Course Grade:Each exam, the research project, and class participation will receive a grade; these grades will be weighted as follows to determine the overall course grade:

Class participation & presentations: 25%

Midterm exam: 15%

Final exam: 20%

Research presentation & project: 40%

The research project will be evaluated on the basis of the final written paper; however, a bonus will be awarded for an exceptionally effective class presentation. The 25% participation component refers to class participation apart from the research project presentation at the end of the semester; an undue number of unexcused absences or consistent evidence of lack of preparation will result in a grade of F for this component.

Failure to take either exam (or a make-up) or to complete the project, or submission of a plagiarized paper, will result in a grade of F for the course, regardless of other grades.
 

Office Hours and Messages:

My office is AD 614. My official office hours for the Spring 1997 semester will be MWF 12:00-1:00, but these are primarily for students in my POLI 100 sections and I cannot promise always to be available during these hours. If you need to see me outside of class, I strongly recommend that you make a specific appointment. This can be arranged this before or after class, or you can contact me in any way shown below.

Office phone (with 24-hour "voice mail") (410) 455-2187

Department secretary (to leave message) (410) 455-2568

Home (if need be, before 9:30pm) (410) 381-3605

E-mail nmiller@umbc2.umbc.edu
 

Note: Additional xeroxed readings will be distributed in class.

1. (January 30) Introduction and Overview/Electing a Representative Assembly
 

2. (February 6) Contemporary Controversies Concerning Electoral Systems and Representation

Read items in Preliminary Course Reading Packet
 
 

3. (February 13) Electing a Single Candidate

Nicholas Miller, "Voting to Select a Single Candidate" [distributed]

Steven J. Brams, "Approval Voting: A Practical Reform for Multicandidate Elections," National Civic Review, November 1979 [distributed]

Peter C. Fishburn and Steven J. Brams, "Paradoxes of Preferential Voting," Mathematics Magazine, September 1983 [distributed]
 

4. (February 20) An Overview of Electoral Systems

Douglas Amy, Real Choices, New Voices, Introduction

Douglas Amy, Real Choices, New Voices, Chapters 1-2

Rein Taagepera and Matthew Soberg Shugart, Seats and Votes: The Effects and Determinants of Electoral Systems, 1989, Chapter 3 ("General Features of Electoral Systems") [distributed]

Douglas Amy, Real Choices, New Voices, Appendix A (Varieties of Electoral Systems) and Appendix C (Transfer of Votes in the STV System)

David Butler, "Electoral Systems," Chapter 2 in Butler et al., Democracy at the Polls, 1987 [distributed]

Rein Taagepera and Matthew Soberg Shugart, Seats and Votes, Chapter 4 ("New Zealand and Finland") [distributed]

Jack Nagel, "Lessons of the Impending Electoral Reform in New Zealand," PEGS Newsletter, 1993 [from Preliminary Reading packet -- review]

Blais, Andre. "The Classification of Electoral Systems," European Journal of Political Research, 1988 [distributed]

Rein Taagepera and Matthew Soberg Shugart, Seats and Votes, Chapter 7 ("Proportionality Profiles of Electoral Systems") [distributed]
 

5. (February 27) The Apportionment Problem

Douglas Amy, Real Choices, New Voices, Appendix B (PR Seat Allocation Formulas)

Michel L. Balinski and H. Peyton Young, Fair Representation: Meeting the Ideal of One Man, One Vote, 1982, Chapters 1-3 [distributed]

"High Court to Weigh Redistricting Case," New York Times, December 17, 1991 [from Preliminary Reading packet -- review]

"Remap Math Doesn't Add Up To One Person, One Vote," Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report, October 21, 1991 [from Preliminary Reading packet -- review]
 

6. (March 6) Political Consequences of Electoral Systems

Maurice Duverger, Political Parties, 1951, pp. 216-228 [distributed]

Rein Taagepera and Matthew Soberg Shugart, Seats and Votes: The Effects and Determinants of Electoral Systems, Chapter 8 ("The Effective Number of Political Parties") [distributed]

Arend Lijphart, Democracies: Patterns of Majoriatarian and Consensus Governments in Twenty-One Countries, 1984, Chapter 9 ("Electoral Systems: Majority and Plurality Methods vs. Proportional Representation") [distributed]

Rein Taagepera and Matthew Soberg Shugart, Seats and Votes, Chapter 13 ("Generalized Duverger's Rule") [distributed]

Douglas Amy, Real Choices, New Voices, Chapters 3-7

Raymond Plant, "Criteria for Electoral Systems: The [British] Labour Party and Electoral Reform," Parliamentary Affairs, October 1991 [from Preliminary Reading packet -- review]
 

7. (March 13) Midterm Exam/SMD Apportionment and Districting

David Butler and Bruce Cain, Congressional Districting, Chapters 1-2

Douglas Amy, Real Choices, New Voices, Chapter 2 [review]
 

8. (March 20) Districting Techniques and Criteria

David Butler and Bruce Cain, Congressional Districting, Chapters 3-4

H. Peyton Young, "Measuring the Compactness Of Legislative Districts," Legislative Studies Quarterly, February 1988 [distributed]
 

9. (April 4) Districting in Practice

David Butler and Bruce Cain, Congressional Districting, Chapters 5-7
 

10. (April 10) Disenfranchisement, the Voting Rights Act, and "Second Generation" Issues

Bernard Grofman and Chandler Davidson, Controversies in Minority Voting, Editors' Introduction

Chandler Davidson, "The Voting Rights Act: A Brief History," in Controversies in Minority Voting

Laughlin McDonald, "The 1982 Amendments of Section 2 and Minority Representation," in Controversies in Minority Voting

Timothy G. O'Rourke, "The 1982 Amendments and the Voting Rights Paradox," in Controversies in Minority Voting

Edward G. Carmines and Robert Huckfelt, "Party Politics in the Wakes of the Voting Rights Act," in Controversies in Minority Voting

J. Morgan Kousser, "The Voting Acts and the Two Reconstructions," in Controversies in Minority Voting
 
 
 

11. (April 17) The Voting Rights Act and "Third Generation" Issues

Bruce Cain, "Voting Rights and Democratic Society: Toward a Color-Blind Society," in Controversies in Minority Voting

Lani Guinier, "Voting Rights and Democratic Theory -- Where Do We Go From Here?" in Controversies in Minority Voting

Carol M. Swain, "Some Consequences of the Voting Rights Act," in Controversies in Minority Voting

Lani Guinier, The Tyranny of the Majority, Chapter 1 [from Preliminary Reading packet -- review]

Lani Guinier, "The Representation of Minority Interests: The Question of Single-Member Districts," Cardozo Law Review, April, 1993 [distributed]

Review items in Part B of Preliminary Reading Packet

Bernard Grofman and Lisa Handley, "1990s Issues in Voting Rights," Mississippi Law Journal, Winter 1995

Bernard Grofman and Chandler Davidson, "Postscript: What Is the Best Way to a Color-Blind Society," in Controversies in Minority Voting
 
 
 

12. (April 24) Catchup/Selected Topics (Student Research

Presentations)
 

13. (May 2) Selected Topics (Student Research Presentations)
 

14. (May 9) Selected Topics (Student Research Presentations)
 
 
 

FINAL EXAM: Thursday, May 15, 7:00-9:00, ACIV 013