Detailed Study Notes on Electoral Systems

Electoral Systems and Rules

Definition: The remedy rule is a straightforward electoral mechanism where the candidate with the most votes wins.
Context: It is traditionally used in Britain and its former colonies, such as the United States.
Challenges:
- Elections can result in one candidate winning with a majority of votes, but this is not always over 50%, leading to scenarios where a candidate wins without a true majority (e.g., Mexico).
- This creates potential issues for legitimacy in leadership.

Description: Under majority runoff, if no candidate gets more than 50% of the votes, a second round occurs between the top two candidates.
Advantages:
- Increased Legitimacy: Because the winner must achieve a majority in the second round, this process enhances the legitimacy of the elected candidate.
- Encourages Moderation: Candidates in the second round tend to move towards the center to secure the median voter, promoting moderation.
- Coalition Formation: Candidates need to build coalitions with other factions to gather support for the second round.
Example: Recent Chilean elections had a communist and a far-right candidate in the second round, highlighting the dynamics of coalition building.

Cost of Elections: Runoff elections can be costly as they require conducting two electoral events.
Fragmentation Effects: Greater fragmentation can complicate decision-making within legislatures due to the need to negotiate among more parties.

Plurality Rule: A candidate can win with less than 50% support, risking the selection of less favored candidates (e.g., the "condorcet loser").
Consequences of Fragmentation:
- Increased difficulties in forming stable governments due to the presence of more parties.
- Smaller parties still play a role in influencing discussions, even if they don't win (e.g., Chile's electoral context).

Decision-Making:
- More parties lead to longer and more complicated decisions, as illustrated by Chile's history with a multitude of parties (21 members in Congress).
Emergence of Fringe Parties:
- Unchecked fragmentation can result in fringe parties having undue influence despite lacking significant public support.

Reelection Policies: Historically, many Latin American countries prohibited presidential reelection to limit executive power.
Changing Norms: Reelection restrictions changed over time, as a way to increase accountability. For example:
- Reelection norms changed particularly after FDR's presidency in the US; the 22nd Amendment limited presidents to two terms.
Electoral Rules Overview:
- Majoritarian Forms: They amplify the support of the largest parties and reduce minor party influence, facilitating quicker legislative decisions by clustering parties.
- Proportional Representation (PR): Allows parties to gain seats in proportion to their votes.
Types of PR Systems: Various systems exist:
- Closed List: Voter chooses a party, but the party lists candidates before the election.
- Open List: Voter can express preference for candidates on the party's list.
- Mixed Systems: Combines majoritarian and proportional methods.

District Magnitude Influence:
- Definition: District magnitude refers to the number of representatives elected in a district. Higher district magnitudes increase the probability of smaller parties winning seats (e.g., Brazil vs. smaller districts).
- Examples:
- In Brazil, larger states elect many representatives, allowing for better representation of smaller parties.
- In contrast, smaller districts often lead to fewer opportunities for smaller parties.
Disproportionality Index:
- A measure indicating how district size influences equitable seat distribution compared to vote shares, generally favoring larger districts.

Understanding these electoral systems is crucial for analyzing political dynamics, coalition building, and the implications of governance in various contexts. By recognizing the interplay of these rules, students can better appreciate the complexities of electoral politics in Latin America and beyond.