Vliv volebního prahu na chování aktérů v českých parlamentních volbách

This thesis addresses the influence of electoral threshold on the behaviour of actors in the context of elections to the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic. First, a fundamental classification of electoral and party systems is provided with the main emphasis put on list proportional representation electoral systems and the key determinants of the electoral threshold. Subsequently, the author seeks to describe the theoretical influence of the electoral threshold on electoral and party systems. Furthermore, a brief overview of the mechanics of electoral threshold is illustrated on the examples of several European democracies, focusing mainly on electoral systems of Netherlands, Slovakia and Spain. Next, the author discusses the historical development of both the electoral system and the electoral threshold in the Czech context, followed by an analysis of the present form of the electoral system in the context of elections to the lower house of the Czech Parliament. Finally, in the last chapter, the author uses qualitative methods of research to analyse the Czech political parties affected by the presence of the electoral threshold, their attitudes towards the electoral system and their respective electoral strategies.