Shaun Bowler and Todd Donovan examine common features of electoral reform and look at why reform consistently falls short of the promised changes. They seek not only to understand elite self-interest in reform and public mobilization for support, but identify public perceptions about changes in the voting system. The book offers careful attention to national and regional reforms with case studies, including campaign finance reform and shifts to proportional representation (PR). The authors investigate the limits of reform 'by examining the logic used by proponents and opponents of various electoral reforms, and by assessing the role of the public in affecting how electoral rules change'. They take a comparative approach exploring national and regional reform in countries such as the UK, the USA, New Zealand and even Japan, but emphasize effects over time instead of a cross-sectional analysis. Drawing on a range of electoral data and qualitative research, Bowler and Donovan hope to offer a more realistic understanding of electoral reform and highlight why electoral rules are 'moving targets'.
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