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The Interplay of Electoral and Party Systems: Understanding Political Cleavages and Structures

This article explores the relationship between electoral systems and party systems, highlighting how they interact with societal cleavages. It examines core theories such as Duverger's Law, emphasizing how electoral laws shape party dynamics—either encouraging two-party systems through Single Member Plurality (SMP) or fostering multi-party systems through proportional representation (PR). Factors such as district magnitude and effective thresholds are analyzed, along with various electoral frameworks like Single Transferable Vote (STV) and Mixed-Member Proportional (MMP) systems. Understanding these elements is crucial for grasping contemporary political landscapes.

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The Interplay of Electoral and Party Systems: Understanding Political Cleavages and Structures

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Presentation Transcript

  1. Explaining party systems The role of electoral systems

  2. Core explanations • Party systems are a product of cleavage and cleavage structure OR • Electoral systems shape party systems

  3. Impact of cleavages Cleavage structure matters, but.. • Not all cleavages are politicized or organized • Some parties organize around cleavages (cleavage-based parties) while others try to bridge or blur them • What parties and other entities do makes a difference

  4. Alternate supposition: • Electoral systems determine the number of parties (stronger version) OR • Electoral systems influence the number of parties (more muted, weaker version)

  5. The impact of electoral laws: • Duverger’s law: • Single member plurality (SMP) > two party system • PR > multiparty system • Is it valid? • Factors to consider: • District magnitude • Effective thresholds

  6. Varieties of electoral laws: • District systems: • Single member plurality (SMP, first past the post) • Single member majority: • Double ballot or runoff systems – e.g. France • Abs. majority required on 1st ballot; lower candidates dropped • Plurality on 2nd ballot • PR • Single transferable vote (STV) – used in Ireland, Malta, proposed for British Columbia • List systems

  7. Single transferable vote (STV) • Multi-member districts (in Ireland 3-4 members) • Voters express 1st, 2nd. 3rd preferences • To be elected a candidate must • Secure a minimum quota: Droop quota = V/(s + 1) • Surplus votes for winning candidates transferred to 2nd choices, candidates securing quota are elected… • Surplus votes transferred again. • If no candidate has a surplus, the lowest candidate is eliminated and his/her votes transferred • Process continues until all seats are filled

  8. PR List systems and their variants: • Impact of district magnitude • Counting formulas • Highest averages • Highest remainders • St. Lague system (Scandinavia – uses special divisors • Pooling arrangements; tiers – e.g. Denmark, Sweden –to deal with remainders • Formal Thresholds: • Germany 5% • Sweden 4% • Denmark 2%

  9. Alternate member (AMS) or mixed-member proportional systems (MMP) Germany: • Half the Bundestag elected in single member districts, via SMP • Second half elected in 2nd, simultaneous ballot: • Results of 2nd ballot used to make the final distribution of seats proportional to the vote received by parties which have either • won 5% of the vote in the second ballot or • won 3 seats on the first (constituency) ballot

  10. New Zealand

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