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Comparitive Gov't (Electoral Systems
A set of rules that determine how…
Comparitive Gov't
Electoral Systems
A set of rules that determine how votes are cast, counted, and translated into seats in a legislature
With the same distribution of votes, the presidency can go to different candidate with different sets of electoral rules
Terms
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SIngle Member District
- A geographical area that is represented by a single member
- Individual candidates compete in districts
- Candidate with plurality (largest comparative share of votes) wins
FPTP system
Multi-member district
- An area (district) that is represented by multiple candidates
District Magnitude
Number of seats in a district
As magnitude increases, the proportionality increases
Proportionality
The extent to which people's votes are reflected in the representatives elected to office
Duvergers Law
There is a systematic relationship between electoral and party system - affects what choices voters have
Plurality system tends to produce a 2 party system - minimizes choices
'Wasted Vote' Psych effect from plurality system
Proportional Representation System
- Multimember districts
- Seats awarded proportionally to votes
- Parties offer lists of candidates
- voters choose between parties, not individual candidates
Candadate Lists
Closed lists are when you vote for a party without knowing exactly which candidates you're voting for. Open lists enable voters to discern exactly which candidates they're voting for.
Degrees of proportionality
PR systems vary in their degree of accuracy and proportions of representation
Coalitions
- Present in multiparty systems where no party wins the majority
- Groups of parties in an alliance in order to enact policies
Thresholds
Sometimes there is a minimum number of seats/ % of vote a party must win to actually gain a seat
Characteristics
- More accurately reflects the will of the voters
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Presidential System
- President directly elected by people, head of state and gov't
Parliamentary system
- Prime ministers and cabinets come out of legislature
- PM not directly elected, is leader of majority party in the house.
- Legislature 'fused' with executive branch, chooses and can remove the head of exec branch
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Referendum
- National vote called by gov't to address a single policy proposal
- Different from initiative, which is created by the public
- People have direct impact on policy
Campaigns
- Media, money flow, and education effects can sway public opinion
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Economic Politics/Dev
Poverty
Extreme Poverty
- Lack of food, shelter, medicine.
- lacks basic human needs
- decraesed by roughly 70% worldwide since 1800s
Social Expenditures (welfare state)
- comprised of state provision of public benefits
- EG: Education, unemployment compensation, old age pensions, transportation
- wealth distribution mechanism
Modernization Theory
- underpins a lot of political research
- Follows trajectory of economic dev (middle class dev essential)-> social change -> democracy
Critiques
- Western-centric theory that disregards other values
- Doesn't take into consideration pre-existing culture/values/political structure
- Linear progression espoused by theory isn't consistent between countries
Branches
Political Executive
- Branch that carries out laws
- Locus of leadership
- E.G president
Cabinet
- Usually present in presidentian & parliamentary systems
- leaders of major departments/segments of govt
- Selected in a variety of ways depending on system
- "Board of Directors"
Legislative Branch
- Legislature, parliament, assembly, etc
- Usually elected by pop. vote
- Consist of many members who deliverate, debate, and vote on policies
- Structured with many committees
Legislative responsibility
- When there is a legislative majority that has the constitutional power to remove the govt from office through a vote of no confidence
Constructive no-confidence
- Removes current govt and replaces in one session
- Must indicate who will replace govt in case of no-confidence
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