This comparative study of electoral procedures, trends, and key issues is the first to deal with the representation of women and minorities around the world. Wilma Rule and Joseph Zimmerman have brought together an international team of scholars who show why there is gross underrepresentation of women and minorities internationally and who analyze the cultural, socio-economic, and political barriers to their future electoral successes. The scholars describe the current situation in 20 countries in various regions and point to ways for women and minorities to enhance positions politically. This text is intended for courses in comparative politics, political parties and elections, women in politics, and minority politics.
WILMA RULE, Adjunct Professor of Political Science at the University of Nevada, Reno, co-edited the companion study United States Electoral Systems: Their Impact on Women and Minorities (Greenwood Press, 1992).
JOSEPH F. ZIMMERMAN, Professor of Political Science at the Graduate School of Public Affairs, State University of New York at Albany. He is the author of many books dealing with federalism, representation, and democracy, including Contemporary American Federalism (1992) and Participatory Democracy (1986), both by the Greenwood Publishing Group.