The purpose of this book is to provide a complete and accurate compilation of election results in Western nations since the beginning of competitive national elections. It aims to provide accurate, unambiguous data about elections in 25 different countries. This process calls attention to the way in which parties and party systems change within a country. In compiling this almanac the authors also emphasize the difficulty in obtaining "facts" about political events, especially statistical information about elections. There are also problems involving the splits and mergers of political parties. The countries covered are advanced industrialized nations which have regularly held competitive elections since the end of World War Two. This new edition includes chapters on Greece, Portugal and Spain. As a whole, the book hopes to contribute to our knowledge of free elections past and present.