ipl-logo

Compulsory Electoral System

1329 Words6 Pages

Electoral systems are one of the most solid democratic foundations and its stability demonstrates that they are intrinsically conservative. Historically, there have only been very minor adjustments made to the rules and regulations surrounding the administration of elections such as amendments to the laws governing election broadcasts, constituency redistricting and financial disclosure (Norris, 1997). However, fundamental reform on the basic electoral system (or in other words the way votes are translated into seats) has been very recent and rare. In fact, only in the last two decades has electoral reform been discussed due to a rising concern over government legitimacy. The United Kingdom is a prime example, as many of their parties and …show more content…

The paper will then evaluate these key electoral systems in different countries including established and emerging democracies, at different levels of economic and political development, to examine the effects of electoral systems under a variety of conditions. Also, the paper will be focused predominantly on national parliamentary elections for the lower house in each country in order to draw fair …show more content…

Although there are many different types of PR, this outlines the basic requirement for a system to be classified as proportional. Rather than the winner-take all approach of other systems, PR ensures that votes carry equal weight through a multi-member constituency system. Consequently, this means that a single area elects more than one representative and the size of this area varies according to the system.
Different PR systems have different ways of electing candidates. With some it is possible to vote only for a party, with others directly for candidates. The foundation of PR is that the seats in a constituency are divided according to the number of votes cast for party list. There are various ways in which it is implemented. For instance in the Netherlands, Norway and Italy there are open party lists in which voters can select particular candidates within the list. Closed lists, like in Israel, Spain and Germany, only permit voters to choose parties (not individuals). In this case the political party determines the ranking of candidates. Also, party lists can be either national, like in Israel, or regional such as in Belgium (Norris, 1997). In Europe, PR is the most widespread, and worldwide 82 out of 180 countries use PR (International Institute for Democracy and Electoral

Show More
Related
1213 Words | 5 Pages

The system that Canada currently uses puts areas in groups called ridings, this leaves them vulnerable to gerrymandering. Gerrymandering causes there to be disproportionate representation because the boundaries of the electoral districts are manipulated to give one party an advantage over the other. Another method in which the first past the post system is manipulated in is the spoiler effect (Advantages and Dis…). The spoiler effect happens when people begin voting for a third party in hopes of changing the two-party system, this then causes the third party to take a percentage of votes from one of the main parties, often the one with similar ideas as the third party. This means that the party least like the third party will keep most of its votes and inevitably win.

Read More
982 Words | 4 Pages

It allows them to use tactics such as packing and cracking which can have a tremendous impact on elections. Packing is when politicians draw out district maps for each party based on population. Packing can swing the vote because the population of one party could out weight the population of the minority party within the same district, causing the entire district to swing with the majority. Voters feel that the other tactic, cracking, gives them a disadvantage because the political parties are being spread out between multiple districts which causes one district to have the majority party in multiple areas (King, Elizabeth). When the politicians of the party in power have drawn out the voters’ map, they maintain power over the lines of the map.

Read More
1501 Words | 7 Pages

Most would agree that taking an extreme view on topics never is a good idea, as it pleases very few and angers many. This is the core of democracy – compromise. One excellent aspect of the Electoral College is that is it prevents extremists and eccentrics from gaining any traction in the government (Document C). As stated by Arthur Schlesinger: “The multiplication of splinter parties (small parties with ideas outside the mainstream) would make it hard for major-party candidates to win popular-vote majorities.” (Document E).

Read More
2217 Words | 9 Pages

　怒枠ract It has been long debated that the winner-take-all-principle of the Electoral College should be abolished for reasons that it fails to promote loyalty, equality and democracy. Some of the arguments against the Electoral College are: it has the risk of so-called “faithless” electors and the possible role of the Electoral College in depressing voter turnout. On the other hand, arguments in favor of this principle defend that it: enhances the status of minority interests and maintains a federal system of government and representation. This Research paper will use the following sources: Keeping the Republic by Barbour and Wright, Federalist No. 68 by Alexander Hamilton, the documents written by William Kimberling and Tara Ross and

Read More
562 Words | 3 Pages

Factions and Federalist Essay No. 10 The federalist papers were a series of 85 essays written to convince the citizens of New York to ratify the constitution. Federalist essay No.10, written by James Madison, discusses political factions and their effects. Madison’s definition of a faction is clearly stated in the essay.

Read More
1590 Words | 7 Pages

Introduction         Across America, the landscape of job opportunities has changed drastically since the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994. This trade agreement between the countries of Canada, the United States of America, and Mexico set out to eliminate tariffs on goods originating in one of the other countries. To those in power, the opportunities appeared endless, with minimal repercussions to affect the overwhelming growth that such an arrangement could bring to North America. In the process of shifting to this policy, as the old adage goes: “the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.” While the country of Mexico benefited largely from the many industries that packed up from the United States

Read More
1267 Words | 6 Pages

Australia is a Democracy Never before have there been so many democracies in the world or so many competitive elections conducted at national, subnational and region levels. Democracy is now prescribed as inseparable from good governance and an antidote to corruption. The key aspects of what makes Australia a democracy being the electoral role, Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), referendumsm, the rule of law The separate colonies of Australia gained self-government during the nineteenth century and less than half a century later Australia became the first nation to vote itself into existence through popular referendum. How does Australia’s democracy in today’s modern age stack up on those early days of a fledgling democracy.

Read More
994 Words | 4 Pages

Germans usually cast two votes: one for a candidate in their constituency and one for a political party. The process is called a personalized proportional representation system. Simply put, Germans vote to decide how the 598 base seats in the Bundestag will be divided among members of Germany 's various political parties.

Read More
1151 Words | 5 Pages

It is clear that American voters tend to avoid local elections and off-year elections. Run-off elections are also likely to register lower voter turnout as compared to first-round elections. The larger the gap between first round elections and run-off elections, the higher the decline in voter turnout. Moreover, there are lower percentages of young people voting as compared to the older population. This is an important point to note since it highlights that young people do not have information guiding them on the importance of voting.

Read More
826 Words | 4 Pages

An Important Distinction Between Democracy and Republic It is important to keep in mind the difference between a Democracy and a Republic, as dissimilar forms of government. Understanding the difference is essential to comprehension of the fundamentals involved. It should be noted, in passing, that use of the word Democracy as meaning merely the popular type of government--that is, featuring genuinely free elections by the people periodically--is not helpful in discussing, as here, the difference between alternative and dissimilar forms of a popular government: a Democracy versus a Republic. This double meaning of Democracy--a popular-type government in general, as well as a specific form of popular government--needs to be made clear in any discussion, or writing, regarding this subject, for the sake of sound understanding.

Read More
2506 Words | 11 Pages

INTRODUCTION The United States political structure is one of the most conducive and great political system in the world. One of the most popular aspects of it is the two party system, and the well-known Democratic and Republican parties. There are three major party systems in the world and they are one-party system, two-party system and multi-party system. This essay will analyse the two party system in the United States (U.S.), their structure and the benefits of a two party system in a states.

Read More
1046 Words | 5 Pages

It means the percentage of votes for parties are almost equal or same with the percentage of seats gained. During Scottish Local Election 2012, the SNP party got 32% of 1st preferences vote and they gained 35% of seats. On the other hand, the Labour party got 32% of 1st preferences votes and gained 32% of seats across Scotland. Next, STV have more representatives so people will have more choices to choose. For example, during Australia Federal Election 2016, there are few choices for people to choose their preferences.

Read More
1312 Words | 6 Pages

"Candidate with the highest number of the vote wins the right to represent the particular seat in the House of Commons", according to CBC news. There are some limitations regarding this method. First of all, it could possibly happen that candidate with less than half vote wins, which means it only reaches minority people's desired outcome. In addition to the tactical voting, the two-party system could be a serious problem. Since only the first matters, candidates with the low possibility to win may exist the election.

Read More
1692 Words | 7 Pages

Political parties are politically recognized organizations of citizens who form to defend their interests. Having a political system that allows the freedom to form a new political parties or to declare membership in already existing ones, promotes democracy. As such, political parties are an indispensable part of the democratic process. However, there are also negative consequences to having political parties. Political parties saw their origins in the 17th and 18th centuries in the UK, evolving from previous political organizations called factions.

Read More
1456 Words | 6 Pages

Many people believe that the election plays the most important role in democracy. Because a free and fair election holds the government responsible and forces it to behave on voter's interest. However, some scholars find evidence that election itself is not enough to hold politicians responsible if the institutions are not shaping incentives in a correct way. In other words, the role of the election on democracy, whether it helps to serve the interest of the public or specific groups, depends on other political institutions. I

Read More

More about Compulsory Electoral System

Related Topics

Open Document