... concepts, but they are more useful for prediction. The choice between two accepted ways to measure cabinet duration and three ways to measure the number of parties illustrates this advice. Clearest results emerge when symmetric regression is used for testing. cabinet duration data sacrosanctity...

... KVP discretionary termination technical termination Netherlands coalition governance government formation cabinet duration coalition agreement politics of accommodation consensus politics New lines of conflict, political parties, and the fragmentation of the political landscape have...

..., prediction of seat shares of parties and cabinet duration has become possible. Simple electoral systems are those that use a usual proportional representation formula or First-Past-The-Post, so that assembly size and district magnitude tell most of the story. Duverger Maurice Duvergerian agenda political...

...Table 7.1 Descriptive statistics (Chapter 7 ) Variable Min. Max. Mean Std. Dev. N Cabinet duration 46 1861 826.58 489.65 224 Settled conflict (mean) 0 1420 224.98 271.27 224 Settled conflict (median) 0 2070 325.21...

... tell us only the direction in which to change the electoral system, the present ones also tell us by how much they must be changed so as to obtain the desired change in party system and cabinet duration. These are quantitatively predictive logical models. Combined with known particularities...

... representative assembly. assembly sizes cabinet duration dimensional analysis interlocking networks parties physics boundary conditions magnitude of electoral districts Predicting Party Sizes gas laws institutional engineering correlation coefficient R2 volatility model of electoral causal direction...

.... absurdities avoidance of predicting assembly sizes communication channels conserved quantities entropy ignorance‐based models maximization and minimization Sherlock Holmes principle trade∕GNP ratio cabinet duration gravitation universal law of Lijphart Arend parties Sikk Allan literacy Shugart...

...An electoral system helps determine the number and size distribution of parties in a country, as well as cabinet duration. Electoral systems are expressed in electoral laws. Their impact depends on the way politicians and voters make use of these laws. Flawed electoral laws can lead to breakdown...