Current Research
Research Proposal
Cynthia McClintock
The Majority Runoff Presidential-Election Rule in Latin America
Do electoral rules affect the survival and quality of democracy, and concomitantly, democratic governance and public policy? Political scientists believe that, in general, the answer is yes.. Political scientists have rigorously examined the implications of parliamentary versus presidential provisions and first-past-the-post versus proportional representation systems. By contrast, another key electoral rule--election of the president by plurality or by majority runoff ("second round")--has received relatively scant scholarly attention. However, it is this rule that a majority of Latin American nations have adopted in recent years.. The hope is that majority runoff will enhance the prospects for the survival and quality of their democracies; has this hope been fulfilled? ...
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