Electoral System Flashcards
what are the four main aims of electoral systems?
- Proportionality
- Effectiveness
- Simplicity
- Responsiveness
what is meant by proportionality when it comes to the aims of electoral systems?
how proportional is the representation in this system?
what is meant by effectiveness when it comes to the aims of electoral systems?
how effective is it in structuring a stable parliament and government?
what is meant by simplicity when it comes to the aims of electoral systems?
is the system easy to understand for voters?
what is meant by responsiveness when it comes to the aims of electoral systems?
how well does the system provide a link between MPs and citizens?
what are the two main types of electoral systems?
- majoritarian electoral systems
- proportional representation (PR) electoral systems
how do majoritarian electoral systems work?
elections take place in single member districts, and the winner takes all (requiring more than 50% of the votes)
how do proportional representation (PR) electoral systems work?
elections take place in multi-member districts, and the seats are allocated in proportion to the votes received
what are some example countries for majoritarian electoral systems?
France, Australia
what are some example countries for proportional representation (PR) electoral systems?
Netherlands, Belgium, Czechia
how do plurality electoral systems work?
voters vote for individual candidates, winning candidate needs more votes than any other single candidate
how do mixed electoral systems work?
voters vote for both individual candidates and party lists, it is a mix of PR and plurality districts
what are some example countries for plurality electoral systems?
United States, United Kingdom, Canada
what are some example countries for mixed electoral systems?
Japan, Hungary, Thailand
what are the four differences for the variety of proportional representation (PR) systems?
- Degree of choice of candidates
- Level of threshold (hurdle set in advance)
- District magnitude
- Formula for seat allocation
what is the relationship between district magnitude and proportionality?
the larger the districts are the more proportional election outcomes are
what are the consequences of plurality and majoritarian electoral systems?
-disproportionality and underrepresentation of minority groups
HOWEVER
-stable party system and single-party governments
what are the consequences of proportional representation (PR) electoral systems?
high levels of proportionality and better minority representation
HOWEVER
-party system fragmentation and government instability
what is the Gallagher Index?
measures an electoral system’s relative disproportionality between votes received and seats in a legislature
what is Duverger’s Law?
countries with a majoritarian electoral system have a two-party system due to mechanical effects and psychological effects
what are the mechanical effects that Duverger’s Law talks about?
the two-party system tends to eliminate small parties
what are the psychological effects that Duverger’s Law talks about?
the two-party system leads people to vote logically (so not small parties)
are the mechanical and psychological effects of Duverger’s Law related?
yes, the psychological effects reinforce the mechanical effects
why is it difficult for electoral systems to change?
because the constitutions protect them
