ap comp gov unit 4 electoral systems and rules

Main Idea of electoral rules and democratization

The rules of electoral systems reflect party and legislative control and level of democratization. More competitive system means more democratic system

Single-member district system (also called plurality system or first-past-the-post system)

-Country is drawn into geographic constituencies

-Election chooses ONE PERSON to represent that constituency (area)

-Only the candidate/party with the plurality (highest %, not necessarily a majority) of vote in the district/constituency receives representation

-All losing candidates/parties receive no representation for votes they received, no matter how much or little they lose by

-"Winner takes all"

Potential problems with Plurality/SMD/FPTP

-For example, candidate can win with 32% of votes. But 68% of votes were for other candidates.

-System is harmful to third parties that win a share of the vote nationwide, but do not win districts regularly

Proportional Representation (PR, also called Multimember District) System

-Used in most democracies; Mexico uses it SOMETIMES

-Voters cast a ballot for a PARTY, not a candidate

-Whatever % of the vote the party receives, the party will win that % of seats in the legislature (ex. 35% of vote won, so 35/100 representatives will be in that legislature)

-Political parties publish a ranked list of candidates (ex. if they win 70 seats, the top 70 on the list go into legislature)

Mixed System

-Used in Mexico and Russia

-Legislature is chosen partially by SMD, partially by PR

-Voters are given two ballots, one to elect a candidate for an Single-Member District (SMD) seat, one to elect a party for the Proportional Representation (PR) seats

electoral district

an area that an elected official represents

direct election

people directly elect a candidate, candidates, or party that they want to represent them

indirect election

people do not directly elect candidates who then choose members for that representative position

electoral system

rules and methods that determine how voting is conducted, how votes are counted, and how those votes translate into representation

Common effect of Single Member District Plurality (SMDP)

-tends to lead to a two-party system

-stronger geographic representation

-constituency service and accountability due to the reps' geographic ties

Common effect of proportional representation (PR or Party List system)

-tends to lead to a MULTIPARTY system/increased # of competitive political parties

-increased election of minority and women candidates to office

pluralist systems

promote COMPETITION among AUTONOMOUS groups not linked to the state; democratic regimes will encourage the formation of pluralism (ex. Mexico's transition from authoritarian to democratic regime)

corporatist system

government created and supported interest groups (typically for labor groups, business owners, and agricultural workers) that become the government's preferred linkage institutions for citizen participation; gov't controls access to policymaking by relying on state-sanctioned groups or single peak associations (SPAs) to represent labour, business, and agricultural sectors

interest group

an organization of people sharing a focused common interest/goal that seeks to influence the making of public policy (ex. NRA, Planned Parenthood)

state retains more control over citizen input through.... (corporatist system or corporatist system?)

corporatist system

federation council powers

must approve bills that involve certain issues, and can reject Duma legislation, but only within certain parameters

gender quotas

In Mexico: A percentage of seats in an elected legislature or of candidates that are reserved for women

national mandate

clauses in nation laws including grants-in-aid that direct state and local governments to do something specified by the national government

el dedazo

Created by the PRI when there was one-party rule in Mexico; leaders would select the next candidate

independent election commission

a body charged with overseeing the implementation of electioneering process of any country

national electoral institute (INE)

In Mexico: autonomous, public organization responsible for organizing Mexican federal elections

hung parliament

A parliament in which no single party has majority control in the House of Commons after the elections. Leads to a coalition parliament. (ex. 2017 election, Conservatives & DUP)(2010, Conservatives & Lib Dem)