Tag: Ferran Martínez i Coma

Free and fair? 2016’s elections so far, ranked by integrity

Free and fair? 2016’s elections so far, ranked by integrity

Which countries hold the fairest elections? The Perceptions of Electoral Integrity dataset analysed every election held so far in 2016 and ranked countries in order of electoral integrity. Ferran Martinez i Coma introduces the findings and identifies some important trends – notably a move away from ballot-stuffing and towards abuses of campaign finance and media […]

Majoritarian electoral systems are more prone to gerrymandering than proportional systems

Majoritarian electoral systems are more prone to gerrymandering than proportional systems

Gerrymandering, the practice of redrawing electoral boundaries in order to benefit one or more electoral actor, has a long and infamous history. Here, Ferran Martinez i Coma and Ignacio Lago look at the under-explored area of gerrymandering in a comparative perspective and what link there is between its prevelence and the electoral system in use, finding […]

Money is key for democratic politics but its abuse is often clearly perceived as a problem by citizens

Money is key for democratic politics but its abuse is often clearly perceived as a problem by citizens

The maintenance of democracy requires the balancing of various demands, among them economic liberty and democracy. Here, Ferran Martinez i Coma shares research which looks at the way these two demands interplay in campaign finance, with the Electoral Integrity Project producing research which shows the extent to which this and related issues affect citizen confidence in […]

How seriously should we take the opinions of academics and experts when it comes to complicated issues like electoral integrity?

How seriously should we take the opinions of academics and experts when it comes to complicated issues like electoral integrity?

The result of the 2015 General Election came as a surprise for most people, but particularly those in the academic and polling community. But what is the appropriate role for academics in an electoral setting, particularly when it comes to complicated issues like the integrity of electoral contests. Ferran Martinez i Coma and Carolien Van Ham seek to […]