Institutional Design: Electoral Systems and Executive-Legislative Relations Plan for Today

1. Institutional Design: Electoral Systems and Executive-Legislative RelationsPlan for Today • Understand the characteristics and democratic consequences of preferential voting systems. • Understand other governance consequences of electoral systems. • Link electoral systems to party system outcomes. • Consider which electoral system is best for new democracies. • Distinguish between presidential and parliamentary forms of government. • Learn the “pro” and “anti” presidentialism cases re: democracy.

2. Preferential Voting: Single Transferable Vote (STV) • This was the system recommended for BC by the recent BC Citizens’ Assembly. • Referendum on question held May 17, 2005.

3. Preferential Voting: Single Transferable Vote (STV) • How the system rates: • Proportionality: Excellent • Voter Choice: Excellent

4. Australian Senate STV Sample Ballot Source: Australian Electoral Commission

5. Preferential Voting: Single Transferable Vote (STV) • How the system rates: • Proportionality: Excellent • Voter Choice: Excellent • Responsibility to constituency: Moderately Good

6. Preferential Voting: Alternative Vote • Australian House of Reps, Fiji. • Rank order candidates in single-member districts. Candidate wins through gaining “majority” of votes. • Worse for proportionality than STV or PR. • Better for voter choice, constituency representation.

7. Non-Preferential Voting: Single Non-Transferable Vote • Multiple representatives elected per constituency, but voters only cast 1 vote choice. • Japan (until 1994). • Taiwan.

8. Effects of Electoral Systems on Party Systems (Duverger’s Law) • Plurality systems  2-party systems, 1-party majority governments. • PR systems  multiparty systems, coalition governments.

9. Effects of Electoral Systems on Other Political Values • Accountability: Who can the public hold accountable for policies? • Plurality system better.

10. Effects of Electoral Systems on Other Political Values • Effectiveness: How quickly and efficiently can governments make decisions? • Plurality system better.

11. Effects of Electoral Systems on Other Political Values • Stability: How predictable is the government’s existence? • Plurality system better?

12. Choices for New Democracies • Electoral systems really a spectrum rather than sharply divided. • Once a system is chosen, hard to change.

13. What is the best system for new democracies? • Pro-PR: In systems with a lot of divisions, PR can represent interests in a fair way.

14. What is the best system for new democracies? • Pro-PR: PR is a good way to encourage creation of political parties.

15. What is the best system for new democracies? • Pro-plurality: May be best to minimize societal divisions.

16. What is the best system for new democracies? • Pro-plurality: PR allows representation and encouragement of extremist groups.

17. What is the best system for new democracies? • Pro-plurality: Encourages majority governments and strong policy leadership.

18. Conclusion • Best to have system that: • Has stable, efficient, majority governments? • Or more accurately represents diverse interests? • Electoral systems have consequences – all depends on the values one prefers.

19. Designing Executive Institutions

20. Branches of Government • Executive • implement or “execute” laws • Legislative • debate and pass laws • Judicial • courts system

21. Presidential vs. Parliamentary Institutions

22. Parliamentary Government • Parliament only democratically legitimate institution. • Executive and legislative institutions basically fused. • PM dependent on parliament confidence (usually).

23. Parliamentary Government • Some variations: • Westminster model: • e.g. Canada, Britain. • PM & cabinet truly dependent on legislature confidence. • Consensus model: • e.g. Switzerland. • Executive more sheltered from legislative approval.

24. Presidential Government • Executive leader (president) has considerable constitutional powers. • Directly elected by the people for fixed term. • Parliament’s role only legislative: debating and passing laws.

25. Is presidential government good or bad for new democracies?

26. Pro-Presidential Case • Democratic: executive directly elected by the people. • Strong check on power of legislature.

27. Anti-Presidential Case • Anti-democratic implications: • “Aura” of president. • E.g. Venezuela, Russia. • Where strong powers, heavy “winner-take-all” character (“hyperpresidencies”). • Where history of dictators, danger of antidemocratic behaviour.

28. Anti-Presidential Case • Weakens government effectiveness. • Legislative “deadlock.” • Discontinuity due to fixed term and power concentration. • “Lame-duck” syndrome.

29. How different are prime ministers from presidents? • Isn’t a PM with party discipline & plurality just as powerful and irremovable as a president?

30. How different are prime ministers from presidents? • Cabinet shuffling equally powerful in each system, but different.

31. Conclusion • Certainly some dangers in too-strong presidencies. • Next class: • Ways to mitigate presidential powers. • Is presidentialism the culprit? • New constitutions: explaining choices.