1.Types of Party Systems 2. Factors that influence pluraristic party systems 3. Issues related to Romanian party system
Types of Party Systems Joseph Lapalombara and Weiner classified accourding to 1.the number pf parties; 2.internal characteristi c haracteristics cs of parties(ideology parties(ideology etc); 3.the way political power is held by them. They identified 3 types of political systems according to these: By the nr of parties: 1. The non-party political systems – there are situations where parties do not form, or are repressed once formed. Parties are deliberately prevented to form or continue to exist. Ex: Authoritarian regimes-dominate by military or civilbearucratic rule that deny a legitimate place for parties in the political stage.(it is difficult to function without parties) 2. Competitive Competitive Political Systems – where theoretically and legally
parties are accepted, are desired and where parties once in power may be then out of power and may then be in. Two-party system. Multiparty Multiparty system.
3. Non-competitive Non-competitive Party Systems a. One party authoritarian system – classical authoritarian authoritarian system, based on ideology, one party, dominating from more than a hegemonic position. Members of oposition are considered traitors. b. One party pluralistic pluralistic authoritarian – would like to absorb opposition opposition not destroy it: Mexico until recently c. One party totalitarian system – the ideology is important but here the one party is destroying its opposition, opposition, the other are out of the law. TOTAL DOMINATION. DOMINATION. The one party becomes the state itself. ex: National Socialist Party under nazi regime, Hitler; Communist Party in Soviet Union; East-Eu regimes until 70’s; North Vietnam, Cuba. For SELF-JUSTIFICATION SELF-JUSTIFICATION they need enemies-often outside. Criteria needed for a real democracy not a pseudo-one like popular democracies in post ww2: -Fair free open elections.
-Possible turn-over without violence. -Real opposition. -All parties agree to enter into a competition according to the same rule. By the way parties hold power. -Hegemonic party system: over an extended period the same party or a coalition dominated by the same big party hold governmental positions. EX: America: America: democrats democrats starting with Roosevelt Roosevelt 1946-1996; Japan- The liberal-dem party had gov pos from 1955-1993. Italy: the Christian-Dem party after first world war for ideological reasons. - A A two-party turn-over system. system. (GB 1979-1990 Margaret Tacher conservative; Amercan case dem-rep)
2.FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE DIFFERENT PARTY SYSTEMS Concerning only competitive party systems, in Democratic-Liberal Democratic-Liberal regimes.(party regimes.(party system only in dem-lib regimes, at least 2 parties and cover the 4 criteria mentioned earlier) Elements that define the party system: a. Internal Internal structure structure of the partie parties s – personnel personnel party, party, mass party… party… b. The number number of of politi political cal parti parties. es. c. The type type of parti parties( es(ide ideolo ology gy etc). etc). d. The dim dimens ension ion of of partie parties. s. e. The conditio condition n of emergence emergence of the parties parties that define define their role role in the political systems. Maurice DUVERGER adds here the specific factors: f. Specific Specific factors: factors: certain certain tradi tradition, tion, ethnicity ethnicity etc… g. General factors: social classes(related classes(related to origins; he says in europe parties emerged related to classes); ideology ; The voting system(the system(the electorate) - rules through which elections take place, mandates are allocated. a llocated. The influence of voting system on party system. In 1955 DUVERGER identified 3 outcomes of party systems according to the different electoral formula used. The voting system determines the number of parties. (THE DUVERGER LAWS): 1. Proportional Representation (PR)(Scrutin (PR)(Scrutin Proportional) – favors a multi-party system with independent(can get seats in a coalition or not), stable political parties and ultimately consensus democracy. 2. Simple Majority (Scrutin (Scrutin Majoritar Simplu)with Simplu)with double doub le b allot – allot – favors a multi-party system but with dependent and relatively stable parties. 3. Plurality voting With One Ballot – Ballot – leads to a two-party system, independent parties with turnover.
Opposition Opposition to DUVERGER came on the grounds that the influence claimed by him neglected the influence of social phenomena as a main factor determining determining a party system. Counter theory: STEING ROKKAN & MARTIN LIPSET in 1967 claimed that: Party systems are related to the 4 main lines of SOCIAL CLEAVAGE. a. Center-Periphery : Center-Periphery : power center and also periphery; states where there is regionalist challenge; b. State-Church: State-Church: Christian-Secular, Christian-Secular, c. Land-Industry : workers-land owners d. Owner-Workers -They consider the parties emerging out of these cleavages as solutions to problems. -They argued that while electoral systems remained important and modify party systems they do not fundamentally transform a party system since in any party system, parties are the result of these fundamental social and historical cleavages. In more recent years it has become clear that Duverger claimed too much influence for the role of electoral system and sociological analisys on the other hand understated the influence of electoral systems. Both factors influence.
ELECTORAL FORMULAS: FORMULAS: Main Elements of an electoral system: 1. Ballot Structure – the way votes are cast.
One Ballot or Double Ballot.(scrutin) Ballot.(scrutin) Secret Ballot. The number of votes a voter may cast(rare). The Leaflet (Buletin de vot) 2. The Constituency Structure (Circumscriptia) (Circumscriptia) – the territory to which are alocated a nr of seats. They are made in a ballanced way, territorial and demographycal. demographycal. The National Constituency(in case of president ellections) Multiple Constituencies(local Constituencies(local ellections, parl ellections) District magnitude magnitude - The number of seats allotted to a constituency: One Seat . More seats. 3. The Electoral Formula Itself – Itself – the procedure of turning votes within a constitunecy(ies) constitunecy(ies) into seats(parliament, seats(parliament, regional council, local council). Two main formula:
a. Proportional Reprezentation. Reprezentation. b. Simple Majority with One Ballot or Double Ballot. Some draw elements from both. 1.PROPO PR OPORT RTION IONA AL REPREZ REPR EZEN ENTA TATI TION( ON(PR) PR) -Most widely used today. It was invented by the end of the 19th century by a Belgian mathematician D’HONDT. D’HONDT. -Used in Romania until last year. Ro now uses a combination. combination. -Two varieties of calculating, allocationg seats. -It attempts to transform as proportionally as possible votes into seats -Parties present lists of candidates and voters vote lists. Distribute votes according to the proportion of votes on list, a certain number of those on the list get seats. -Two variaties to DISTRIBUTE votes: a. THE LARGEST REMAINDER METHOD(remainder=catul)(used METHOD(remainder=catul)(used in RO) SIMULATION: We have list A,B,C within a constituency. Total nr of votes 400 000. 8 seats. A: 220 000 : 50 000=4 Remainders 20 000 B: 93 000 : 50 000=1 Remainders Remainders 43 000 1 C: 66 000 : 50 000=1 R: 16 000 D: 21 000 000 : 50 000=0 000=0 R: 21 000 1 First calculate the ELECTORA QUOTA(catul electoral)- 400 000:8 = 50 000(this is the minimum nr of votes required for a seat) We divide the nr of votes gotten by each list to the quota. A second distribution to those who have most votes. This case B and D. a. THE HIGHEST AVERAGE METHOD.(media METHOD.(media cea mai inalta)
The same until the second distribution. Then one fictional seat is added to the seats already obtains. Then a second division A 220 000 : 5 List B gets one extra seat Then the procedure is repeated for the last one Advantages to PR: -to get all votes. -isolates extremist parties. -encourages an ideological debate. Critiques: -encourages coalitions and fragmanted governments. -difficulty in how the proportion of votes are rounded to match nr of seats=> always lost votes.
In order to avoid a high nr of parties there is a treshold(prag electoral)=minim electoral)=minimum um nr of votes for a party to have access to parliament etc.
2.THE PLURALITY METHOD: 1. One Ballot.Ballot.- in a constituency a winner takes it all.(UK-single all.(UK-single member constituency, one takes it). Encourages two party system. Lots of votes are not represented. 2. Two BallotsBallots- in RO for pres. And mayors(2 tururi de scrutin). If a candidate gets 50%+1 (absolute maj) in a first round he gets the seat. If not, there is a second round with the first 2 during the first round.(in France used for parliamentary as well; candidates who do not have 12.5% votes he is not qualified in a constituency.) Leads to single party gov. ROMANIA: combination combination of the 2 for parliamentary ellections. Law 35/2008
READINGS: LIJPHART & PREDA LIJPHART: Lijphart
The magnitude of a constituency – the number of members who are to be elected in a constituency. The higher the number of seats allotted to a cons consti titu tuen ency cy,, the the high higher er the the degr degree ee of repr repres esen enta tati tion on.. The The high higher er magni agnitu tude de adv advanta antag ges small aller part arties so in that that sense ense the more ore prop propor orti tion onal al the the elec electo tora rall form formul ula a is. is. All All the the vote votes s are are cast cast into into one one constituency => optimum representation. The lower the magnitude//size the less representative it is since theoretically perfect representation is achieved if the number of votes equal the number of candidates. Disprop Disproporti ortional onal situatio situation n : single-m single-membe emberr constitue constituency ncy with a majority majority vote. In elections when there is a national constituency it is the most proportional proportional one in his view. Where the president is elected by universal vote this has an indirect effect on the the numb number er of poli politi tica call part partie ies! s! Regi Regim mes that that have have a degr degree ee of presidential tend to have fewer parties in Parliament because: since the candidate person draws the party behind him!! Lijphart argues that in this regi regime mes s disp dispro ropo port rtio iona nali lity ty is high higher er : the the diff differ eren ence ce betw betwee een n the the distribution of votes and the distribution of seats is higher. A number of votes do not get to be translated into seats. This is how he classifies poli politi tica call sy syst stem ems s in term terms s of thei theirr prod produc ucin ing g diff differ eren entt degr degree ees s of disporportionality disporportionality the best being the highest proportional regime. (p.32-35 preda pt sistemul romanesc) Galagher’s index for disproportionality p.33 preda.
