ABSTRACT
It is one of the more frequently noted paradoxes of political life that parties and the various institutions which comprise the state promote both the expression of conflict within society and social integration (Duverger, 1966; Lipset and Rokkan, 1967). For example, an electoral system may be designed in a manner that allows groups to articulate and advance opposed interests. At the same time, and in so far as it prompts citizens to play only electoral politics, an electoral system precludes more disruptive forms of action.
