Untangling the Party List System by Julio Teehankee

First-past-the-post (FPTP)

The remainder of the House has continued to be elected on the basis of the system retained from the 1935 Constitution, namely _____ or single-member district plurality—one member from each district, with the winner needing to win the largest number of votes (i.e., a plurality).

Rule of the game

Political institutions provide the "_____" that govern the practice of democracy.

Electoral system

The _____ is generally viewed as the most malleable among political institutions, and the choice of electoral system not only determines how votes are translated into legislative seats but also shapes the type of party system that develops.

Major function of electoral systems

To represent the multifaceted interests in society (representation) and to transform votes into seats or mandates (integration).

Formula of decision

Refers to the formula by which electoral winners or losers are determined.

Objective of representation

Addresses the functions that representation should fulfill in legislative assemblies.

Plurality and majoritarian systems

(Winner-takes-all) Involve the election of individual candidates or personalities, and the winning candidate must obtain a plurality or majority of votes; The plurality (or majority) wins; Formation of a legislative majority.

Proportional representation systems

Involve election of party list, it is the share of votes that determines the (multiple) winners, with the proportion of seats won based as closely as possible on the number of votes received; The share of votes decides; Reflection of the structure of the electorate.

Two-party system

A _____ usually emerges from plurality and majoritarian electoral system.

Multiparty system

A _____ usually emerges from plurality and majoritarian electoral system.

Mechanical effect

First is the _____ under plurality or majoritarian electoral systems.

Psychological effect

Second is the _____ in which voters are less inclined to vote for smaller parties where their votes can be wasted.

Mixed electoral system

Massicotte and Blais (1999, 345) defined _____ as the combination of different electoral formulas for an election to a single body.

Compensatory or mixed-member proportional (MMP) system

Mixed system in which the choices expressed by the voters are used to elect representatives through two different systems—one List PR system and one plurality or majority system—where the List PR system compensates for the disproportionality in the results from the plurality/majority system; Linkage: Yes; Compensatory.

Non-compensatory or parallel system

Mixed system in which the choices expressed by the voters are used to elect representatives through different systems—one List PR system and one plurality/majority system—but where no account is taken of the seats allocated under the first system in calculating the results in the second system; Linkage: No; Non-compensatory.

1st Characteristic

There is no upper limit on the number of seats that a party can receive.

2nd Characteristic

In order to rule out parties with very low support levels, a minimum vote threshold of between 3-5 percent is commonly applied.

3rd Characteristic

All parties are allowed to compete.

2%

Any party, group or coalition receiving at least _____ of the votes wins a seat, up to a maximum of three seats in total.

True

There is no clear-cut minimum vote threshold in the PLS.

Issues of integration

Relate to the translation of votes into seats and mandates.

Issues of representation

Refers to the goal of ensuring that a broad spectrum of societal interests are represented marginalized sectors, but has been captured to a significant extent by elite and other interests.

Proportional representation

The principle of _____ is negated by the seat allocation method specified in the 1995 Party-List System Act... which contradicts its statement that it is the policy of the State to promote _____ in the election of representatives to the House of Representatives.

COMELEC formula

One seat awarded for every 2 percent of votes received for the party-list election with a 3-year cap.

Panganiban formula

The number of seats to be obtained by those parties exceeding the 2% threshold is dependent on the number of votes received by the top-performing party.

Carpio formula

Two percent threshold applies only to the first seat of winning party list organizations.

Proportional representation (PR) systems

Intend to reflect as exactly as possible the social forces and political groups in the population.

Sectoral representation

Can be traced to the corporatist practice of Latin American dictatorships as they appointed cooperative "representatives" from various sectors of society.

Closed list proportional representation

The party both chooses and ranks the candidates.

Seat allocations

The current system has a "ceiling" in terms of the three-seat cap but doesn't have a "floor" in terms of threshold on additional seats to be unconstitutional.

District magnitude

Which is the number of members to be elected in each electoral district, is one of the crucial determinants of the degree of proportionality in translating votes into seats.

Large district magnitude

Is associated with legislative seats going to many small parties.

Small district magnitude

Is associated with relatively fewer and larger political parties winning legislative seats.

Batas Pambansa Blg. 881 Section 261 (a)

Specific law that defines and prohibits direct and indirect vote-buying.

RA No. 7941

The Party-List System Act, which aims to promote proportional representation in the House of Representatives.
Problem: It has been criticized because dominant political clans and traditional elites have exploited it, defeating its purpose of representing marginalized and underrepresented sectors.

First-past-the-post (FPTP) electoral system

A single-member district plurality system where one member is elected from each district, and the winner is the candidate who receives the largest number of votes (i.e., a plurality).