week 11 - electoral systems and parties Flashcards
(20 cards)
What is an electoral system?
A set of rules that determine how votes are translated into seats in the legislature (Lijphart 1994). These systems structure how votes are cast and how they are counted to determine winners.
What are the two main types of electoral systems?
- Majoritarian/Plurality Systems (eg FPTP)
- Proportional Representation (PR) Systems
(Lijphart 1994)
Also mixed systems - both
What is the key characteristic of Majoritarian/Plurality Systems?
They prioritize government effectiveness and clear accountability by producing single-party majorities, even if this means less proportional representation (Lijphart 1994)
What is the key characteristic of Proportional Representation (PR) Systems?
They aim to translate votes into seats as proportionally as possible, ensuring fair representation of all significant political groups (Lijphart 1994)
What is District Magnitude?
The number of representatives elected from each electoral district. It’s a crucial determinant of proportionality - larger districts tend to produce more proportional results (Clark, Golder & Golder)
What is Duverger’s Law?
The proposition that plurality rule election systems tend to favor two-party systems, while PR systems tend to favor multiparty systems (Duverger 1954)
What are the main advantages of Majoritarian Systems?
- Clear accountability
- Stable single-party governments
- Direct link between representatives and constituencies
- Simple and easy to understand (Blais 1991)
What are the main disadvantages of Majoritarian Systems?
- Can produce ‘manufactured majorities’
- May exclude minority parties
- Can lead to significant vote-seat disparities
- May encourage strategic voting (Blais 1991)
What are the main advantages of PR Systems?
- Better representation of minority parties
- More accurate translation of votes to seats
- Higher voter turnout
- Less wasted votes (Lijphart 1994)
What are the main disadvantages of PR Systems?
- Can lead to coalition governments
- Potentially less stable governments
- Weaker geographic representation
- More complex for voters (Lijphart 1994)
What is an electoral threshold?
A minimum percentage of votes that a party must receive to gain representation in the legislature. Used to prevent extreme party system fragmentation (Lijphart 1994)
What is a closed-list PR system?
A PR system where voters can only vote for parties, not individual candidates. Party determines the order of candidates on the list (Lijphart 1994)
What is an open-list PR system?
A PR system where voters can influence which candidates from a party’s list get elected by expressing preferences for specific candidates (Lijphart 1994)
What is the mechanical effect in electoral systems?
How electoral rules mathematically translate votes into seats, regardless of strategic behavior (Duverger 1954)
What is the psychological effect in electoral systems?
How voters and parties strategically adapt their behavior based on their understanding of the electoral rules (Duverger 1954)
What is a Mixed-Member System?
An electoral system that combines elements of both majoritarian and PR systems, attempting to capture benefits of both (e.g., German system) (Lijphart 1994)
What is strategic voting?
When voters cast ballots for a party/candidate that isn’t their first choice to avoid wasting their vote or to prevent a less preferred outcome (Downs 1957)
How do electoral systems affect party systems?
They influence the number of viable parties, party strategy, coalition formation, and representation patterns through both mechanical and psychological effects (Duverger 1954)
What is the ‘wasted vote’ phenomenon?
In majoritarian systems, votes for losing candidates or excess votes for winners beyond what’s needed for victory don’t contribute to representation (Blais 1991)
What are ‘manufactured majorities’?
When an electoral system allows a party to win a majority of seats without winning a majority of votes (common in majoritarian systems) (Lijphart 1994)
