Elections in all the world's democracies have changed radically over the past forty years. The advent of television, opinion polls, and campaign consultants has transformed them - but what some see as the `Americanization' of electioneering has happened very differently in different countries.

In this book acknowledged local experts explore how far elections have been `Americanized' in ten countries or regions, including the USA, Britain, Japan, and Latin America. Their essays shed new light on the diversity of ways in which democratic choice is made. They also discuss campaigning methods and debate whether the increasingly sophisticated techniques invoked by politicians to win votes actually make their campaigns more effective.

This is a study in comparative government; it is also a pragmatic examination of the most essential element of any democracy - free elections.