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Electoral Systems

Electoral Systems. Majoritarian -> SMPR or Majority Rule Consensual -> PR Changes in electoral systems are relatively rare & usually from SMPR to PR Issues: Disproportionality of different rules Influence on Party Systems. Disproportionality. Loosemore-Hanby index

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Electoral Systems

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  1. Electoral Systems • Majoritarian -> SMPR or Majority Rule • Consensual -> PR • Changes in electoral systems are relatively rare & usually from SMPR to PR • Issues: • Disproportionality of different rules • Influence on Party Systems

  2. Disproportionality • Loosemore-Hanby index • ½ * |vi-si| - understates prop. for PR • Rae Index • 1/n * |vi-si| - overstates prop. for PR • Gallagher Index • ½ * (vi-si)2

  3. Electoral Formulas • How votes are translated into seats • District size is important • PR in a single-member district? • Majoritarian Systems: • Plurality • Majority Run-off (Majority-Plurality) • Alternative Vote

  4. Electoral Formulas • Semi-proportional Systems • Limited Vote • Single non-transferable vote • Parallel plurality-PR (mixed) • Proportional Systems • List Proportional Representation • Mixed member systems • Single transferable vote

  5. Methods of list PR • Divisor methods: • d’Hondt: 1, 2, 3, … • Saint-Lague: 1, 3, 5, … • Modified Saint-Lague: 1.4, 3, 5, …. • LR-Quota methods: • Hare: q=V/M • Droop: q=V/(M+1) • Imperiali: q=V/(M+2) More disproportional More disproportional

  6. Example of divisor method • 100 voters, 3 parties, 3 seats, d’Hondt Divisor 1 2 3 4 Party A Party B Party C 70 20 10 35 10 5 23.3 6.6 3.3 17.5 5 2.5

  7. Example of divisor method • 100 voters, 3 parties, 3 seats, Saint-Lague Divisor 1 3 5 7 Party A Party B Party C 70 20 10 23.3 6.6 3.3 14 4 2 10 2.9 1.4

  8. Example of LR-Quota method • 99 voters, 3 parties, 3 seats, Hare Quota: 99/3 = 33 Party A Party B Party C 69 19 11 36 - - 3 - -

  9. Example of LR-Quota method • 99 voters, 3 parties, 3 seats, Droop Quota: 99/4 = 24.5 Party A Party B Party C 69 19 11 44.5 - - 20 - -

  10. District Magnitude • District Magnitude = Number of seats/legislators elected from district. • Important for proportionality • Small district  High Disproportionality • Large district  Low Disproportionality ? • Large district magnitude is a prerequisite for proportionality

  11. Electoral Threshold • How much proportionality do we want? • Relationship between stability and the number of parties ? • The Weimar Republic • Electoral Thresholds are barriers against small parties • Must win x% of vote before being allocated any seats. • District Magnitude can also work as an electoral threshold

  12. Other factors • Size of Legislature • Presidential Systems • Malapportionment – districts have unequal representation.

  13. Cox’s On Electoral Systems • Presents a more thorough and detailed account • Considers all democratic countries (FH) 1992-1993 • Electoral system = set of laws and party rules that regulate electoral competition between and within parties

  14. Nominating Candidates • How do parties select candidates ? • Sometimes nomination procedures are governed by law, e.g., Germany, Brazil. • Aspects depend on the problems we are looking at. • Fusion candidates (nominated by more than one party • Joint lists – supported by more than one party (Israel 1969) • Both aid smaller parties

  15. Nominating Candidates • Joint lists sometimes banned – facade parties. • Cost of forming a party • Signatures • Bolivia (certified by a notary)

  16. The Vote • Single- vs. multi-ballot • Various ways of voting • Checking a box • Writing the candidate’s name • Pulling a lever • Punch holes

  17. The Vote • For what do the voters vote ? • Candidates • Lists • Both, or a choice between the two • Number of votes to cast • Anywhere between one to the number of competing candidates/lists

  18. The Vote • What seat-relevant vote totals are affected by the voters vote? • Allocation among candidates • Allocation among parties (Finland) • Allocation among cartels (Poland) • An exclusive candidate vote: Benefits only that candidate. (US, UK, etc.) • A non-exclusive candidate vote: Benefits more than one seat-relevant vote total

  19. Non-exclusive votes • The transferable vote: May transfer between candidates (Ireland, Australia) • The pooling vote: Vote cast for candidate but determines party’s vote share (Finland, Poland, Brazil) • Fused vote: A single-vote for different offices (Uruguay).

  20. Multiple votes • Plumbing: Voters have several votes but need not use all of them • Panachage: Voters may split their votes across party lines • Cumulative: May cast more than one vote for a candidate (also known as a block vote)

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