Electoral Systems Flashcards

Introduction

• The discussion begins with humorous anecdotes about unpleasant odors from paper mills and their impact on daily life.
• The speaker acknowledges their current discomfort and prepares to switch topics.

House of Commons Overview

• The House of Commons in Britain is referred to as the "mother of parliaments" and serves as a model for many legislative bodies, including the US Congress.
• It consists of 650 constituencies, each electing one representative (similar to districts in the US).
• Example constituency discussed: Stratford-on-Avon, known as Shakespeare's birthplace.

Election Returns Analysis

• The class examines specific election results from Stratford-on-Avon.
• Notable outcomes include:
  • Liberal Democrat candidate (named Olivia) receiving 44% of the votes (plurality, not majority).
  • Conservative with 30.8%, and other candidates with lesser percentages.
• The concept of "wasted votes" is introduced, discussing how votes for losing candidates do not contribute to representation.

First Past the Post Electoral System

• In a first-past-the-post (FPTP) electoral system, winning requires more votes than any other candidate but not necessarily a majority.
• This system can lead to many votes being disregarded, highlighting inefficiencies in processing voter preferences.
• Discussed implications include possible impacts on public policy and government legitimacy.

Matthew Effect and Duverger's Law

• The speaker reviews the Matthew Effect, where larger parties receive more seats than their proportion of votes.
• Duverger's Law indicates that FPTP systems lead to fewer major parties, often resulting in a two-party system (as seen in the US).

Strategic vs. Sincere Voting

• Voters often feel compelled to vote strategically for candidates likely to win, rather than sincerely for their preferred candidates.
• Example given of a voter wanting to support an anti-immigration party (Reform), but choosing the Conservative party due to a higher chance of winning.

Consequences of Electoral Design

• The system encourages candidates to focus on their personalities and name recognition rather than on policy differences.
• Incumbents benefit from name recognition, leading to possibly inefficient re-elections despite poor performance.
• Citizens may also lack a means of expressing the intensity of their preferences in the FPTP system, as they can only select one candidate.

Gerrymandering and Malapportionment

• The design of single-member districts presents opportunities for gerrymandering, where district boundaries are manipulated for political gain.
• Discussed malapportionment in Canada, focusing on Nunavut, which has large geographical size but a small population, raising issues about effective representation.

Alternatives to FPTP

• Majority runoff system introduced as an alternative, notably used in France and some US states.
• In majority runoff, if no candidate receives a majority, the top two candidates compete in a second round, reducing wasted votes and increasing legitimacy.
• Overall, majority runoff systems lead to fewer problematic effects than FPTP, although some issues remain.

Conclusion

• The session concludes with an evaluation of flawed electoral systems and the need for reform to enhance democratic representation and responsiveness to voter preferences.
• Future discussions may explore additional electoral systems and their implications for democracy.