electoral system

What are the characteristics of a Majoritarian Single-Member Plurality (SMD) system?

1 MP elected in each constituency; each party presents 1 candidate; citizens vote for 1 candidate; candidate with the most votes wins.

What is the Two-Round System (TRS)?

A majoritarian electoral system where if no candidate wins 50% of the votes, the top 2 candidates go to a run-off.

Define Proportional Representation (PR) electoral systems.

Electoral systems using multi-member constituencies to ensure a proportional translation of votes into seats.

What is Closed-List Proportional Representation (CLPR)?

A system where voters vote for a party list, and seats are allocated to parties in proportion to votes received.

What is the main difference between Open-List PR and Closed-List PR?

Open-List PR allows voters to choose individual candidates, while Closed-List PR only allows voting for a party list.

What happens in the Single-Transferable Vote (STV) system?

Citizens rank candidates, and if no candidate reaches a quota, the bottom candidate is eliminated and their votes are reallocated.

How does Mixed-Member Proportional (MMP) system function?

It combines single-member and multi-member constituencies; citizens usually have 2 votes, 1 for a candidate and 1 for a party.

What is Duverger’s Law?

A principle stating that majoritarian systems tend to produce two-party systems, while proportional systems encourage multi-party systems.

Explain Gary Cox's correction of Duverger’s logic.

Cox suggested that a single-member system will produce more than two parties in heterogeneous societies if different parties dominate constituencies.

What is the effect of a low average district magnitude on electoral systems?

It can lead to disproportionate outcomes and favors larger parties, making it difficult for smaller parties to gain seats.

What is the trade-off in choosing electoral systems?

Fair representation versus decisive election results.

What is meant by electoral efficacy?

The perception that voters believe their votes make a difference and can influence government response.