Gradations of Accommodation: Electoral Laws as Power-Sharing Mechanisms

Abstract

<p>This work seeks to examine the role that institutions play in integrating minority populations into predominant political systems. The work explores a number of accommodation strategies, ranging from strong, rigid measures to more fluid methods of integration. Overall, the work presented in this thesis supports the contention that institutions can affect the levels of formal political representation, participation, and efficacy rates of minority populations. There is also an underlying thesis which states that fluid accommodation strategies are preferable overall their rigid counterparts, namely because of the latter's divisive effects and propensity toward Balkanization.</p>