An electoral system does not exist in a vacuum. It is part of an evolved and integrated set of institutional arrangements that together make up a larger and infinitely...

Although Canadians do not fully understand how federal governments are elected in Canada, they appear to want the benefits of both the current electoral system and of proportional representation...

This evening you have kindly invited me to speak about New Zealand’s experience of using proportional representation (PR) to elect the members of its Parliament. I am honoured to respond...

Fundamental electoral reform, as distinguished from mechanical tinkering, is currently attracting more attention than is usually the case. There are several reasons for this: A new party, the Greens, is...

New Zealand’s change to the mixed member proportional (MMP) system of electoral representation reveals the kinds of complex interactions of events, personalities, and pressures that are present in any...

I have to express a degree of agnosticism about comparing the merits of electoral systems. Fifty years of theoretical research deriving from the Arrow General Impossibility Theorem has demonstrated...

The Canada-US Softwood Lumber Agreement has expired, and the US forest industry, represented by the Coalition for Fair Lumber Imports, has asked the US Department of Commerce to impose...

While the softwood lumber dispute continues to dominate the headlines, another forest products battle is being fought in North America—the battle for forest certification. Environmental organizations, forest products retailers...

In the eternal struggle over powers between our national and provincial governments, we usually assume that each level will try to maintain or expand its powers at the expense of...

In April 1998, Policy Options carried an article in which I argued that Canada’s electoral system could be greatly improved by the addition of run-off elections, to ensure that Parliament...