volby 2004 a strategické účinky volebních systémů

This paper aims to introduce the concept of „strategic effects“ of electoral systems and offer its aplication on three electoral contests being held in the Czech Republic in 2004 (European Parliament, Regional Councils, The Senate). We argue that the strategic effects of the three electoral systems used to select representatives for above mentioned bodies are rather weak. At the same time, there were incentives – exogenous of the electoral systems- that tended to weaken these effects even more, preventing relevant actors from any possibility of successful electoral coordination. These incentives are briefly discussed. Special consideration is given to the prominence of the exogenous factors in the case of the electoral system to the Senate that clearly diminish its -on its own viable- strategic effects. Alternative electoral design (supplementary vote) is therefore proposed and its strategic effects (in the form of the subset of hypotheses) are discussed.