In 2005 Prince Edward Island’s plebiscite on replacing the single member plurality (SMP) voting system with a mixed member proportional (MMP) voting system was defeated. In New Brunswick a similar referendum, recommended by the Commission on Legislative Democracy in 2004, was never held. This thesis investigates media coverage of these recent electoral reform initiatives in Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. Specifically, it examines local newspaper coverage of each province’s electoral reform initiatives and analyses the findings to determine if the newspapers demonstrated any bias for or against the implementation of a new voting system. It concludes that in each province the local newspaper media demonstrated a pro-electoral reform position, though there was considerable variation between the newspapers with respect to the breadth of coverage, the amount of bias and how that bias was articulated to readers. / Graduate

The thesis focuses on influence of the AMS (Additional Member System) upon party systems of Scotland and Wales. This system is used for elections to Scottish parliament and Welsh national assembly. It was applied for the first election that was held in 1999 and it is still in use. This means AMS is used in both regions for the same time period, which allows us to compare the influence which the system has in different environment. The thesis analyzes results of all elections that were held in Scotland and Wales and defines their influence on particular parties and party systems it operates in. On the basis of these findings the general influence of AMS is formulated. Theoretical concepts by Maurice Duverger and Giovanni Sartori are used as a background for study of election systems and party systems. The position voter support and its changes are analyzed through valence theory, which uses opinion polls to explain election results. At the first sight the AMS seems to be the same one as another election system - MMP (Mixed Member Proportional). These systems are often confused or perceived as the same ones. So except the election results analysis this thesis explains also the difference between these systems and classifies them into right categories. It shows up that each of the systems belongs to...

The thesis is about New Zealand House of Representatives electoral system. In introductory part is briefly presented the political system of New Zealand. Then is currently used electoral system, its genesis and impacts of transition from the first past the post to mixed member proportional system researched. Thesis is in its effort focusing on segments of electoral system and trying to identify its problematic points and to introduce alternative electoral system proposed to the electors in referenda. The thesis is using the electoral studies methods, especially quantitative measuring of attributes of electoral system and party structure within the House of Representatives.