Electoral Systems

Electoral System
Many forms but we can use a simple classification
SMD/plurality systems PR systems Mixed systems

Impacts:
Party system: numbers & competition Proportionality: votes to seats Returning single-party/ coalition governments Style of representation (agency v. trusteeship)

SMD/plurality systems
How the system works:
District Magnitude (DM) = 1 Candidate names listed next to party on the ballot Votes apply directly to candidate totals Candidate with the most votes wins seat

Tends to create two-party competition based on strategic choices of voters and party officials
Social cleavage structure may produce exceptions Political culture may produce exceptions

Political Party System in the UK

Political party: an organization that seeks to place their designated representatives in public office Number of parties: (2005)
58 parties gained access to the ballot 13 parties gained seats Labour Party received 55% seats with 35% of the vote US (2008) Democrats won 59 % seats with 53% of the vote

Number of effective parties:

Number that have significant impact on public policy In UK, 2-3 historically (depending on the election)

US Presidential Elections
Electoral College:
Electors = US representatives for the state Must return a majority decision Otherwise, Congress decides

Intention was to produce a state-based, citizen-derived nomination system that would be decided in the Congress

Two-round majoritarian system

DM = 1 but if a candidate does not receive a majority mandate in the first round of voting, a second round is held Tends to build electoral alliances within a multi-party system French party system began coalescing around the two-round system

PR systems (with party list)

DM greater than one Parties (without candidate names) listed on ballot Seats distributed in district according to the relative proportion of votes received
many formulas available (commonly DHonte or Hare) some countries use layered districts so that remainder votes bump up to a higher district level (e.g. Hungary)

Assume an Election Produces the Following Results in a District

% of Vote Liberal Party 46% Social Democrat 34% Green Party 16% National Party 4% DM = Seats 5 (4.6) 3 (3.4) 2 (1.6) 0 (0.4) 10 Seats 9 (9.2) 7 (6.8) 3 (3.2) 1 (0.8) 20

PR systems (with party list)

As the DM increases, results become more proportional (votes to seats more closely aligned)
It is possible to have only one national district Israel: DM = 120; Netherlands: DM = 150

PR electoral systems tend to produce multiple parties in the system

Voters perceive opportunity to win a seat Parties remain more independent of one another

Mixed Electoral System Example: German Bundestag

Each voter belongs to two overlapping districts for the Bundestag
A single-member district (SMD): DM = 1 A multimember district: DM > 1

Bundestag is split 50/50 according to these two types of districts

Since 2002, 598 seats in the Bundestag Down from 656 seats (pre-2002) Overhang seats increases this number

German Mixed Electoral System for the Bundestag

Voters are presented with two ballots
One ballot contains candidates for the SMD One ballot contains party names (list voting) Voters have no control over slating (no primary elections)

Votes to Seats for the Bundestag

The SMD/plurality votes are counted first
Seats are awarded for SMD through plurality

Then all ballots (SMD/plurality and PR list) are combined and counted
SMD candidates are associated with their party PR system distributes seats accordingly The SMD seats already won are the first counted out through the PR system

Votes to Seats for the Bundestag

If a party wins more seats from SMD seats than can be awarded from the PR count, they keep these overhang seats 2002: 4 SPD & 1 CDU overhang seats
(603 total seats in 2002)

2005: 9 SPD & 6 CDU overhang seats

(613 total seats in 2005)

Mixed Electoral System Outcomes

System builds incentives for two large anchoring parties to emerge System grants incentives for small parties to gain representation
Smaller parties focus on PR campaign Voters tend to split their votes (ballots)

Normal electoral outcomes forced coalitions on either the left or right

Example of Overhang Seat

PR district = Lander with DM = 60
30 SMD seats and 30 PR seats

Party X (a larger anchoring party)

Wins 22 of 30 SMD seats (42% of SMD vote) Combined with PR ballots = 35% of total vote Should receive 21 seats total but gets to keep its 22 SMD seats (and wins no PR seats)

Example of Smaller Party

Party Y in same Lande as above
Wins 3 of 30 SMD seats with 16% vote Combined with PR ballots = 20% total vote Should receive 12 total seats from Lander 9 of these seats will be PR

2005 German Election Results

CDU = CSU = SDP = 180 seats: 46 seats: 222 seats: 106 / 74 (7 overhang) 44/ 2 145 / 77 (9 overhang) 0 / 61 3 / 51 1 / 50

FDP = 61 seats: LP = 54 seats: Green = 51 seats:

Total seats in Bundestag = 614