Take note, Justin Trudeau: three reasons why changing an electoral system is so hard

Canada is thinking about changing its electoral system, write Kristof Jacobs and Lidia Núñez. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has pledged that 2015 would be the last time Canadians elect a federal government using the first-past-the-post system. A parliamentary committee has been set up and talks are on the way. If Canada were to succeed, it would only be the second established democracy to change away from the first-past-the-post system – after New Zealand. It might also boost the case for reform in the UK. Electoral reform is often on the political agenda, yet actual changes are very rare. Why are electoral systems so hard to change? And how likely is Canadian electoral reform?