4. Reforming the Electoral System: Permissive Reforms

Question 1

indirect elections

Answer 1

voting for representatives, who would then choose the final assembly members

Question 2

wrong-winner election

Answer 2

outcome does not match with the popular votes.

this can happen with a majority system

weird outcomes can trigger contingent crisis / public opinion

Question 3

permissive reform

Answer 3

changing the electoral system in such a way that a voter has more impact on who is elected

= changing FPTP to a more proportional system

Question 4

restrictive reform

Answer 4

change of the electoral system where the voter has less impact on who gets elected.

Question 5

colomer - risk avoidance

Answer 5

there are risks attached to changing the electoral system.

therefore not blindly seat maximization counts.

Question 6

colomer - bounded rationality

Answer 6

politicians are rational, up to a certain point.

the electoral ‘calculators’ do not know all of the possible electoral system, they know only a few through experience. this leads to the options being more limited

this explains why proportional representation was implemented late, people did not know it existed

Question 7

what leads to unpredictability

Answer 7

rise of new parties –> christian and socialist

outside pressure made the old system doomed

protests for universal suffrage led to a different electoral system

Question 8

four elements of electoral systems

Answer 8

electoral formula

assembly by size

district magnitude

ballot structure

Question 9

electoral formula

Answer 9

the way votes are translated into seats

Question 10

assembly by size

Answer 10

the total number of seats in a parliament

Question 11

district magnitude

Answer 11

the average number of politicians / seats that is distributed per electoral district

Question 12

ballot structure

Answer 12

which individual gets to occupy a seat that a party has won

Question 13

multi-member districts

Answer 13

multiple ballot (vote for different parties / candidates) OR bloc vote (you vote only for a party, not for candidates. If party wins, this party gets all of the seats).

Question 14

descriptive trends

Answer 14

1. indirect elections
2. multi-member districts
3. limited vote / single member district
4. proportional representation

Question 15

single member district

Answer 15

one candidate was elected per district), with either plurality (first-past-the-post) or majority rules (50% support)

Question 16

limited ballot

Answer 16

voters had fewer votes than seats / candidates available

Question 17

majoritarian outcomes

Answer 17

these systems often produce clear winners but can result in governments that don’t reflect the overall popular vote, leading to polarization and under-representation of smaller parties.

Question 18

proportional outcomes

Answer 18

proportional representation systems tend to produce coalition governments, representing a broader spectrum of the electorate and often aligning more closely with the median voter’s preferences.

this makes them generally more stable and inclusive.

Question 19

drivers of electoral system choices - colomer

Answer 19

political strategy and changing expectations

• some parties that initially supported proportional representation shifted to majoritarian systems when they gained enough power to potentially dominate elections
• parties that felt threatened by emerging competition or losing influence often advocated for proportional representation to secure their place in a changing political landscape

Question 20

dealignment

Answer 20

process where traditional political alignments, such as strong loyalties to a particular party, weaken or decline.

dealignment is characterized by an increase in voters who do not identify strongly with any political party

Question 21

personalization

Answer 21

the increasing prominence of individual politicians over parties and collective identities

Question 22

different levels of personalization

Answer 22

first-order personalization

second-order personalization

Question 23

first-order personalization

Answer 23

focus on party leaders gaining prominence

Question 24

second-order personalization

Answer 24

emphasis on individual candidates who are not necessarily the party leaders

Question 25

centralized vs. decentralized personalization

Answer 25

centralized refers to power shifting towards a single leader, while decentralized refers to power dispersing among various candidates

Question 26

electoral systems classified into two main dimensions

Answer 26

inter-party dimension

intra-party dimension

Question 27

inter-party dimension

Answer 27

concerns the distribution of power across different parties.

Question 28

intra-party dimension

Answer 28

involves how power is distributed within parties, particularly in terms of candidate selection and voter influence over individual candidates.

Question 29

personalization and inter/intra party dimension

Answer 29

suggestion that as voters disengage from parties, they might prioritize having more influence over individual candidates, thereby increasing the relevance of intra-party dynamics in electoral systems

Question 30

three mechanisms for personalization manifesting in electoral reform

Answer 30

mass imposition

elite-mass interaction

elite imposition

Question 31

mass imposition

Answer 31

strong public pressure drives reforms, even against political elite preferences.

Question 32

elite-mass interaction

Answer 32

politicians respond to public disaffection by proposing moderate reforms that enhance personalization while retaining control.

Question 33

elite imposition

Answer 33

politicians maintain control but are constrained by public opinion in the kinds of reforms they enact.

Question 34

three types of ballot structures

Answer 34

open list system

flexible list system

closed list system

Question 35

open list system

Answer 35

it all depends on preference votes / most votes (only have to make sure you are on the list, can make your own campaign)

Question 36

flexible list system

Answer 36

first a ranking on preference votes, but you only get the seat if you cross a certain threshold for preference votes.

you have the full quota (total votes / seats), the threshold is equal to the quota divided by four.

the seats after remaining after applying those who pass the threshold are filled in with the list ranking (dependent on party, but can also campaign independently).

Question 37

closed list system

Answer 37

based on position on list. If you have 6 seats, the first 6 gets to occupy them.

makes politicians dependent on party leadership (on which position they put you).