International Encyclopedia of Elections

Elections are of fundamental importance in countries around the world, especially as democracy continues to spread. As more & more of the world's people are winning the right to select their leaders in free & competitive elections, many elections are poorly understood by the electorate, as well as by the world at large - & electoral institutions vary greatly from country to country. The International Encyclopedia of Elections is the first & only definitive work to survey elections in independent nations & describe the varied systems & processes in clear language understandable to any interested reader. The encyclopedia will be most useful to undergraduate & graduate students, journalists, political activists, & scholars seeking information outside their specialties or their own countries. Written in clear, concise language by 70 international scholars in the field, the volume contains more than 150 articles (from Absentee voting to Women: Enfranchisement) ranging in length from a few hundred to several thousand words. The encyclopedia covers each of the more than 170 countries that have held direct elections or national referendums in this decade. The International Encyclopedia of Elections also features: . Definitions of terms . Explanations of relevance in the electoral process . Important geographical & historical examples . Problems & solutions in different areas of election analysis. The alphabetical presentation of entries, plus a detailed index of the full contents point readers quickly to the information they need. Detailed Appendix Makes Comparisons Easy The International Encyclopedia of Elections includes a detailed appendix that gives the chief features of electoral systems in nations throughout the world. This tabular presentation allows quick answers to such questions as voting, age, compulsory voting or not, ballot form, number of elected seats, type of contest (proportional, representative, or winner take all) & much more. The International Encyclopedia of Elections will be used by students & scholars for years to come as more nations turn to democratic elections.Richard Rose is the author of 'International Encyclopedia of Elections', published 2000 under ISBN 9781568024158 and ISBN 1568024150.