Elections and Electoral Systems

These flashcards capture key terms and definitions from the chapter on elections and electoral systems, which are vital for understanding the intricacies of electoral rules and their implications.

Electoral Systems

The rules used to translate votes into elected office.

Representative Democracy

A system where elected officials make decisions on behalf of the people.

Constitutional Changes

Amendments or modifications to the fundamental laws of a state.

Political Engineering

The process of designing political institutions to achieve specific outcomes.

Majoritarian System

An electoral system that favors larger parties and produces clear winners and losers.

Proportional Representation

An electoral system where party seats in the legislature are roughly equal to the number of votes they receive.

District Magnitude (M)

The number of representatives elected from a particular electoral district.

Single-Seat Districts

Electoral districts where one representative is elected.

Plurality Rule

The candidate with the most votes wins, regardless of whether they achieve a majority.

Two-Round System

A majoritarian election system where a second round of voting occurs if no candidate achieves a majority in the first round.

Ranked Choice Voting

A voting system where voters rank candidates in order of preference.

Mixed-Member Proportional (MMP)

An electoral system combining both direct candidate elections and party-list proportional representation.

Alternative Vote (AV)

A voting system where voters rank candidates, and votes are redistributed until a candidate achieves a majority.

Gerrymandering

The manipulation of electoral district boundaries to favor one party over another.

Recall Election

A procedure allowing voters to remove an elected official from office before the end of their term.

Referendum

A direct vote in which an entire electorate is invited to vote on a particular proposal.

Turnout Rate

The percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election.

Disproportionality

The extent to which the allocation of seats in a legislature does not reflect the popular vote.

Felon Disenfranchisement

Laws that deny individuals with felony convictions the right to vote.

Long Ballot

A voting list that includes many candidates or issues, requiring voters to make multiple selections.