Participation, partisanship and the electoral reform process

This thesis is about the maximisation of electoral participation, and the ways in which processes of institutional development impact upon this pursuit. It considers the interaction between electoral participation, electoral policy and the broader institutional context within which both are embedded. Providing the first comprehensive overview of these issues in the Australian context, the thesis demonstrates how electoral policy development can only be explained with recourse to the influence and constraint exerted by the broader institutional structure, particularly the role of partisan self-interest. Through this, the thesis grants illumination to those interested in shaping electoral policy in the future.