Political science review Flashcards
Fukuyama’s end of History (argument)
Fukuyama’s end of history argument is not actually referring to the end of the world but the end of political evolution. He believes that western liberal democracy is the final stage of political evolution.
Kaplan: Democracy is just a moment.
What is a FPTP system and how does it work
Within a city, country, or province there are districts, and each district is represented by one seat in their respective legislature. Within each district there are elections held to decide who represents the district. Each district election is a FPTP (First Past The Post) election system which is a winner takes all approach, where there is no need to have the majority of votes just more votes than any other candidate.
What are the strengths of a FPTP system?
Simplicity, FPTP systems are easy for the voters to understand, they vote for whichever candidate they want to win, and the candidate with the most votes wins.
Fast and Quick Results, Counting votes is straight forward, and yields quick results.
Direct constituency link, Each district has a representative, fostering a clear connection between constituents and their elected officials.
Stable Governments, Often leads to a majority government, providing clarity and stable governance
What are the weaknesses of a FPTP system
Disproportionate representation, The share of seats a party wins can significantly diverge from its share of the national vote.
Wasted votes, Votes for the losing candidates do not contribute to the election outcome, which could potentially lead to voter dissatisfaction.
Minority Rule, A candidate can win with a small plurality, especially if the opposition is fragmented.
Discourage small parties, Smaller parties often struggle to win seats, leading to underrepresentation of diverse political views.
Encourages tactical voting, Voters may choose a less preferred but more viable candidate to avoid “wasting” their vote
Who do FPTP systems benefit?
FPTP systems favour Larger parties, Majoritarian and centrist candidates, and well established candidates. Larger parties because FPTP systems tend to benefit larger parties, often resulting in a two-party system. Smaller parties can find it challenging to gain representation unless they have concentrated regional support. Majoritarian and centrist candidates because candidates appealing to the broadcast segment of the electorate often have the advantage, this can sometimes lead to centrist policies but can also marginalize minority interests. Well established candidates because those with greater name recognition or resources often fare better, as the focus is winning individual districts.
What is proportional representation and how does it work?
- Multi member districts or nationwide votes: Unlike FPTP, PR often uses larger, multi-member districts or even nationwide votes to allocate seats.
- Party lists: Voters typically vote for parties rather than individual candidates. Parties usually provide lists of candidates (closed list, where the party decides the order, or open list, where voters influence the order).
- Allocating seats: Seats in the legislature are allocated to parties roughly in proportion to the percentage of the vote they receive. The exact method of allocation can vary, with systems like the D’Hondt method or the Sainte-Laguë method being common.
What is a free rider?
free riders are those who benefit from a resource/goods without helping in the creation of said resource/good. For example, someone can use a community center as much as they like despite the fact that they did not contribute to its construction, and it did not cost them anything. In politics, a free rider could be someone who benefits from the actions of a social movement without being part of the movement itself. Assuming everyone is rational, according to the rational choice theory, nobody would do anything as they could always leach of the work of others, leading to lower political participation levels and contribution levels.
What is political participation
Political participation, there is many forms of political participation such as voting, protesting, political movements and joining political parties. Sometimes, participating in political activities can bring change in a government policy. Most people however will not participate in political activities because of the feeling or thought that their contribution won’t be noticed or wont matter (a drop in the ocean argument) creating free riders. Understanding these dynamics helps in creating strategies to encourage participation, such as making voting easier, providing information, and creating societal norms that value political engagement.
What is rational choice theory?
Rational choice theory, The main idea of rational choice theory is that individuals make decisions based on rational calculations to maximize their benefit and minimize their costs. This assumes that people individuals have preferences and they can order these preferences in a rational manner, it also assumes that individuals have the ability to assess the costs and benefits of their choices. Critiques of this theory is that it oversimplifies human behavior and overlooks moral values as well as emotional and cultural factors.
