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Comparative Electoral Law

Comparative Electoral Law. Who gets elected and how?. Lower Houses of the Legislature. “Closer” to the People US House of Representatives British House of Commons, etc. Ballot Type determines how you vote Categorical Ordinal. Electoral Formulas . Who gets elected?

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Comparative Electoral Law

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  1. Comparative Electoral Law Who gets elected and how?

  2. Lower Houses of the Legislature • “Closer” to the People • US House of Representatives • British House of Commons, etc. • Ballot Type determines how you vote • Categorical • Ordinal

  3. Electoral Formulas • Who gets elected? • Winner Take All (First Past the Post) • Proportional Representation • Single Transferable Vote • Double Ballot • District Size • How much territory or people represented? • How many seats are being elected by the district?

  4. Winner Take All • USA, Britain, Canada • Single Member Districts

  5. Effects of Winner Take All • Vote vs. Seats Issue • Large and Small Parties • Magnification of Difference • Produces Decisive Outcomes • Excludes Extremists

  6. Winner Take All • Why keep it? • Traditional Powers would have to change it • While people don’t like the system they like their representative. • Is there a better way?

  7. Proportional Representation • More Reflective of the will of the people • Response to working class enfranchisement • Usually a Single National District • Vote by Party not Individual Candidates • Party List determines who gets in • Example: Netherlands—Nationwide District (150 Seats)

  8. Proportional Representation • Promotes Party Loyalty • Voters don’t pick who gets in • Hard to remove unpopular but loyal candidates • Switzerland: Personalized PR • Multiple Districts District Vary in Size from 1 to 35 seats • Ordinal Ballot • Vote for party and mark the candidates they want, Can cross out to vote against

  9. Proportional Representation • Multi-Party Governments: Coalitions • Small parties Included • Co-Existence in Divided Societies

  10. Single Transferrable Vote • Republic of Ireland and Australia • Multi-Member Districts: 3 to 5 seats • Vote for Candidates on Ordinal Ballot • Huge Formulas for Determining who gets elected

  11. Single Transferrable Vote • Republic of Ireland and Australia • Multi-Member Districts: 3 to 5 seats • Vote for Candidates on Ordinal Ballot • Huge Formulas for Determining who gets elected • Pros: Very representative, Weakens Party Leaders, Moderate Candidates, Promotes Coalitions, Minorities Represented • Cons: Complexity, Fraud with 2nd Place Votes

  12. Combination of Systems • Germany and Russia: Split System • ½ of the seats elected in Winner Take All Single Member Districts • ½ of seats elected in Single Nationwide District through Proportional Representation • 5% Hurdle in PR Seats to reduce Fringe Parties (10% in Germany) • Personalized link in Winner Take All seats, Reflective outcome in PR Seats

  13. Combination of Systems • France: Double Ballot • Single Member Districts • 1st Round: Need 50% to win outright • 2nd Round: Final 3 compete for Plurality • Non-Proportional • Rewards Parties with Loyal Voters

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