In this paper we compare and assess four freely available cross-sectional time-series
data sets in terms of their information on the ballot structure, district structure and
formula of the electoral system in use for lower house and, if relevant, upper house
and presidential elections. The four datasets evaluated are Golder (2005), the
Database of Political Institutions (Beck et al. 2001; Keefer 2005), Persson and
Tabellini (2003) and Johnson and Wallack (2006). We find that the choice of data
source matters for conclusions drawn on the consequences of electoral systems for
both party systems and corruption, but that no data source can be given prominence
over the other on methodological grounds. Students of electoral systems must thus, in
the future, make their results sensitive to the choice of data source
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