Majoritarian Electoral Systems: Second Ballot and the Alternative Vote

1997 ◽  
pp. 39-58
Author(s):  
David M. Farrell
Keyword(s):  
Electoral Systems ◽  
Alternative Vote

Special elections in alternative vote electoral systems: Exploring turnout and the vote in Irish by-elections 1923–2019

2021 ◽  
pp. 136914812110457
Author(s):  
Stephen Quinlan
Keyword(s):  
Electoral Systems ◽  
Electoral System ◽  
Economic Conditions ◽  
Government Performance ◽  
Multifaceted Approach ◽  
Decisive Effect ◽  
Members Of Parliament ◽  
Alternative Vote ◽  
National Economic ◽  
The Impact

Most literature on special elections has focused on first-past-the-post contests and on the performance of governments. Turnout, candidates, and how the electoral system impacts the result have received less attention. This contribution fills these voids by exploring special elections in Ireland, elections conducted under the alternative vote system. Taking a multifaceted approach, it investigates the correlates of turnout, the impact of candidates and the decisive effect of lower preferences, while also testing multiple explanations of government performance. I find Irish special elections live up to the by-election truisms of lower turnout and government loss. Government performance is associated with national economic conditions. By-election victory is more likely among candidates with familial lineage and former members of parliament. Where they come into play, one in five candidates owe their victory to lower preferences.

Wahlsystemreform in Deutschland

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peggy Matauschek
Keyword(s):  
Party System ◽  
Electoral Systems ◽  
Parallel Systems ◽  
Electoral System ◽  
Proportional Representation ◽  
Electoral Reform ◽  
Suitable Alternative ◽  
Representation Systems ◽  
District Magnitude ◽  
Alternative Vote

Is plurality or majority electoral reform a sensible option in Germany’s muddled electoral system debate? Yes, it is. Since Germany’s mixed-member proportional system fails to concentrate the party system in a sufficient way, Peggy Matauschek searches for a suitable alternative to the principle of proportional representation. She discusses the following options according to their contextual conditions: single-member plurality and majority electoral systems—like the alternative vote system—, parallel systems, proportional representation systems with a low district magnitude and majority bonus systems. In light of its balanced performance, the study advocates the introduction of a system with a majority bonus for a coalition.

10. Elections and referendums

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Gallagher
Keyword(s):  
Direct Democracy ◽  
Electoral Systems ◽  
Proportional Representation ◽  
Representative Democracy ◽  
Alternative Vote ◽  
Potential Impact

This chapter focuses on the two main opportunities that people have to vote in most societies: elections and referendums. Elections are held to fill seats in parliaments or to choose a president, whereas referendums allow citizens to decide directly on some issue of policy. Elections are the cornerstone of representative democracy, and referendums are sometimes regarded as the equivalent of ‘direct democracy’. In practice, referendums are used only as an option in systems of representative democracy. The chapter first provides an overview of elections and electoral systems, focusing on electoral regulations and the main categories of electoral systems, namely: single-member plurality, alternative vote, two-round system, and proportional representation. It then examines the rules under which elections are held as well as the consequences of this variation. It also considers the use of the referendum and its potential impact on politics.

Democracy in Divided Societies: Electoral Engineering for Conflict Management. By Benjamin Reilly. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001. 232p. $60.00 cloth, $22.00 paper.

2002 ◽  
Vol 96 (4) ◽  
pp. 865-866
Author(s):  
Shaheen Mozaffar
Keyword(s):  
Conflict Management ◽  
Institutional Design ◽  
Electoral Systems ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Dominant Position ◽  
Divided Societies ◽  
Cambridge University ◽  
Single Transferable Vote ◽  
Alternative Vote ◽  
Alternative Position

Benjamin Reilly makes an important contribution to the debate on the appropriate institutional design of electoral systems for mitigating conflict and sustaining democracy in ethnically plural societies. The dominant position in this debate posits the importance of proportional representation (PR) systems. An alternative position, less widely accepted largely because of an ostensible absence of empirical examples, posits the importance of majoritarian preferential systems that encourage cross-ethnic vote pooling. Reilly extends this debate by drawing on heretofore unknown or understudied cases to examine the operation of both majoritarian (the alternative vote or AV and the supplementary vote or SV) and proportional (single-transferable vote or STV) preferential systems in different social contexts and in different elections (legislative and presidential).

Preferential Voting: Definition and Classification

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 737-761 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jurij Toplak
Keyword(s):  
Electoral Systems ◽  
Proportional Representation ◽  
Ranking Methods ◽  
Single Transferable Vote ◽  
Alternative Vote ◽  
Preference Voting ◽  
Election Systems ◽  
Common Understanding

There is no single definition for ‘preferential voting’ or ‘preference voting’ since the terms are used for a number of different election systems and groups of such systems. They can be synonymous with the single-transferable vote, the alternative vote, open-list proportional representation, or the group of all ranking methods. This article offers an overview of the various definitions and classifications of preferential voting and other terms used in the literature to describe it. It proposes a common understanding of preferential voting. I suggest that preferentiality ought to be one of the characteristics by which electoral systems are evaluated. All election systems are preferential, though to varying degrees. I offer a classification of numerous electoral schemes according to their preferentiality.

10. Elections and Referendums

2020 ◽  
pp. 178-192
Author(s):  
Michael Gallagher
Keyword(s):  
Direct Democracy ◽  
Electoral Systems ◽  
Proportional Representation ◽  
Representative Democracy ◽  
Alternative Vote ◽  
Potential Impact

This chapter focuses on the two main opportunities that people have to vote in most societies: elections and referendums. Elections are held to fill seats in parliaments or to choose a president, whereas referendums allow citizens to decide directly on some issue of policy. Elections are the cornerstone of representative democracy, and referendums are sometimes regarded as the equivalent of ‘direct democracy’. In practice, referendums are used only as an option in systems of representative democracy. The chapter first provides an overview of elections and electoral systems, focusing on electoral regulations and the main categories of electoral systems, namely single-member plurality, alternative vote, two-round system, and proportional representation. It then examines the rules under which elections are held, as well as the consequences of this variation. It also considers the use of the referendum and its potential impact on politics.

scholarly journals REVIEW OF ELECTORAL SYSTEMS IN SELECTED COUNTRIES IN 2020

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-83
Author(s):  
Bartłomiej KULAS ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Party System ◽  
Electoral Systems ◽  
Parallel Systems ◽  
Party Systems ◽  
System A ◽  
Alternative Vote ◽  
The World ◽  
Degree Of Maturity ◽  
Electoral Law ◽  
Political Scene

A large number of different electoral systems operate in the world in 2020. The main types of electoral systems are majoritarian, mixed and proportional, but the division is imperfect. In the group of countries using the FPTP system, a political scene with two parties is most often created, similar to the Alternative Vote. The situation is different in the STV, Mixed-Member Proportional and Parallel systems, where different party systems can arise. Pure multiparty is most often achieved in the List Proportional system. The comparison of the electoral systems proves that even within the same group, the party system can be significantly differentiated due to the essential details of electoral law, the population of the state, and even the degree of maturity of its democracy.

Graeme Orr, Ritual and Rhythm in Electoral Systems: A Comparative Legal Account

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-248
Author(s):  
Heather Green
Keyword(s):  
Electoral Systems
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document