WEEK 5: Electoral systems

Political parties

1. organize popular vote

2. inform the public

3. formulate policy

4. recruit leaders for public office

Party system

2 compnenets: static and dynamic

• static component - number of parties in the legislature

• dynamic component - internal cohesion, relationships between parties

Measuring stability

• by number of govts or number of leaders

• but instabilty can also be. form of stabilty (Italy falls often but the faces are familiar

Democracy vs Efficiency

Electoral and party systems balance democracy/reresentation and effficiency/governability

EX: Stalin (effective but very undemocratic)

FPTP

• single member constituency → candidate with the most votes win

• block vote → multimember districts = voters cast multiple votes

• party block vote → voters create party list + winning party takes all seats

• advantages: simple and clear

• disadvantages: undemocratic and votes are unequal and punishes small parties

Canada ( FPTP + Westminster)

• vote for local MP

• strong cabinet dominance

• two party dominance

• disadvatnages → weak rep, wasted votes, govt can act without majoirty support

Proportional representation

• converts votes into seats more proportionally

• advantages: few wasted votes adn more democratic

• disadvantage: instablity, allows extremist parties into parliament, voters don’t know which govt they will get

Candidate bsed PR: STV

• voters rank candidates, much reach a quota, surplus votes redistributed based on preferences

• Quota formula (DROOP) → (total votes/seats + 1) + 1

• advantages: captures intenstiy of preferences and reduces wasted votes

• disadvantages: complex, requires numeracy

List PR systems

• closed list → party controls ranking, voters choose the party

• open list → voters influence candidate ranking

• Hare formula → total votes/total seats ( remaing seats go to largest leftover votes_

• D’Hondt formula → votes/ (seats + 1) (favours larger parties)

MMP

• Germany

• two votes (1) constituency MP and (2) Party vote

• Germany has a 5% threshold → limits small parties

• seat allocaton v/2k+1

• advantage: very proportional

• disadvantages: two classes of MPs, strategic voting, and party vote is the most important

Majoritarian systems

1. Alt Vote

   1. rank candidates, marjoity required, lowest eliminated and votes get redistributed

   2. pros: encourages broad appeal

   3. cons: similar PR issues and complexity

2. Two-round system

   1. First round, marjoity wins → if not majority, second round

   2. Advantages: ensures majority, simple, good for divided societies

   3. cons: punishes small parties