ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the institutions within which political parties operate, more specifically parliamentary election systems which are the formal rules according to which elections of Parliament are organized. These rules vary from country to country and affect the success of political parties, both positively and negatively. Election rules, like any rules, are never neutral. The chapter discusses British, Dutch, Swiss, Irish, German, French, and Italian rules in detail. Each of these countries has special features in its election rules, thus illustrating the wide range of possibilities available for organizing parliamentary elections. The chapter highlights that institutions are man-made and not as immutable as is often believed. They reflect the political distribution of power at particular points in time. Once in place, they do lead to relatively predictable outcomes but are always prone to significant modifications if the distribution of political power changes.
