More Parties or No Parties

"Regardless of which proportional system one supports, it is important to try to account for the lessons of history. Readers may disagree on what exactly those lessons are, but they would do well to grapple with Santucci's work. * FairVote * [A] 'must read' for any of us interested in the possibility of electoral reform along the lines of ranked-choice voting. * Ned Foley, Election Law Blog * Santucci makes excellent use of an innovative political theory and a diversity of historical sources to illuminate the 20th century efforts at electoral reform that took place in US cities. His research is meticulous and his conclusions are insightful. He points out the mistakes made by these early reformers, then offers valuable advice about the potential paths to reform that can be pursued by contemporary electoral reform advocates. * Douglas J. Amy, author of Real Choices/New Voices: How Proportional Representation Elections Could Revitalize American Democracy * This superb, innovative analysis first distinguishes and pries apart the many variants of electoral reform and then combines everything into one comprehensive theory that is strong and convincing. A major scholarly achievement and a hugely important contribution to the field of electoral systems research. * Arend Lijphart, University of California, San Diego * With the lens of his ""shifting coalitions"" theory of electoral reform, Santucci takes the reader on a deep dive into the American experience with proportional representation at the local politics level, connecting the nature of the reform coalition to the outcomes of reform. A must-read for anyone interested in what is possible for the future of American democracy, and in how much those possibilities depend upon the political maneuvering of reformers versus the details of the reforms themselves. * Corrine M. McConnaughy, Princeton University * In two eras, American electoral reformers pinned their hopes on STV—a system of proportional representation based on ranked-choice voting. During the first half of the 20th century, 24 cities adopted the method. By mid-century, all but one had repealed it. In the 21st century, STV became the holy grail for a new generation of reformers, whose ultimate target is the U.S. House of Representatives. From his deep research into the 20th century experience, Jack Santucci draws challenging conclusions about why electoral reforms succeed or fail. His book deserves close attention, not only from scholars, but also from reformers, who ignore his thesis at their peril. * Jack Nagel, University of Pennsylvania * After a long period of dormancy, discussion of alternative ways of electing representatives has sprung back to life in the United States. This timely book is a welcome contribution to this ongoing and important conversation. Santucci offers an explanation of why nearly all past cases of proportional ranked-choice electoral systems in American cities resulted in the system subsequently being repealed. He explains these developments via a sophisticated theory of how issue cleavages shape coalitions for and against reform. * Matthew S. Shugart, University of California, Davis *"