Institutional Design: Electoral Systems and ExecutiveLegislative Relations Plan for Today

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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.

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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.

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Preferential Voting Single Transferable Vote
(STV)

• How the system rates
• Proportionality Excellent
• Voter Choice Excellent

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Australian Senate STV Sample Ballot
Source Australian Electoral Commission
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Preferential Voting Single Transferable Vote
(STV)

• How the system rates
• Proportionality Excellent
• Voter Choice Excellent
• Responsibility to constituency Moderately Good

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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.

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Non-Preferential Voting Single Non-Transferable
Vote

• Multiple representatives elected per
  constituency, but voters only cast 1 vote choice.
• Japan (until 1994).
• Taiwan.

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Effects of Electoral Systems on Party Systems
(Duvergers Law)

• Plurality systems ? 2-party systems, 1-party
  majority governments.
• PR systems ? multiparty systems, coalition
  governments.

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Effects of Electoral Systems on Other Political
Values

• Accountability Who can the public hold
  accountable for policies?
• Plurality system better.

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Effects of Electoral Systems on Other Political
Values

• Effectiveness How quickly and efficiently can
  governments make decisions?
• Plurality system better.

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Effects of Electoral Systems on Other Political
Values

• Stability How predictable is the governments
  existence?
• Plurality system better?

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Choices for New Democracies

• Electoral systems really a spectrum rather than
  sharply divided.
• Once a system is chosen, hard to change.

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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.

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What is the best system for new democracies?

• Pro-PR PR is a good way to encourage creation of
  political parties.

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What is the best system for new democracies?

• Pro-plurality May be best to minimize societal
  divisions.

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What is the best system for new democracies?

• Pro-plurality PR allows representation and
  encouragement of extremist groups.

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What is the best system for new democracies?

• Pro-plurality Encourages majority governments
  and strong policy leadership.

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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.

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Designing Executive Institutions
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Branches of Government

• Executive
• implement or execute laws
• Legislative
• debate and pass laws
• Judicial
• courts system

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Presidential vs. Parliamentary Institutions
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Parliamentary Government

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

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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.

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Presidential Government

• Executive leader (president) has considerable
  constitutional powers.
• Directly elected by the people for fixed term.
• Parliaments role only legislative debating and
  passing laws.

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Is presidential government good or bad for new
democracies?
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Pro-Presidential Case

• Democratic executive directly elected by the
  people.
• Strong check on power of legislature.

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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.

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Anti-Presidential Case

• Weakens government effectiveness.
• Legislative deadlock.
• Discontinuity due to fixed term and power
  concentration.
• Lame-duck syndrome.

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How different are prime ministers from presidents?

• Isnt a PM with party discipline plurality just
  as powerful and irremovable as a president?

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How different are prime ministers from presidents?

• Cabinet shuffling equally powerful in each
  system, but different.

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Conclusion

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