Question for Discussion

• "Once upon a time, I, Chuang Chou, dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, a veritable butterfly, enjoying itself to the full of its bent, and not knowing it was Chuang Chou. Suddenly I awoke, and came to myself, the veritable Chuang Chou. Now I do not know whether it was then I dreamt I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly dreaming I am a man. "

• Zhuangzi, Chinese Philosopher

Are we all humans dreaming we're butterflies or butterflies dreaming we're humans?

Agree or Disagree with this statement

“The Chinese Communist Party has a powerful story to tell. Despite its many faults, it has created wealth and hope that an older generation would have found unimaginable. Bold reform would create a surge of popular goodwill towards the party from ordinary Chinese people.

Mr. Xi, the new President, comes at a crucial moment for China, when hardliners still deny the need for political change and insist that the state can put down dissent with force. For everyone else, too, Mr. Xi’s choice will weigh heavily. The world has much more fear from a weak, unstable China than from a strong one.”

The Economist, November 2012.

Parties and Election Systems

Ways of electing leaders and how election systems affect political

parties

Our Thesis

• There is a correlation between the system used to select leaders and the number and strength of political parties that develop.

FPTP/SMD Systems• Winner-take all• One winner per district• Majority vote is not

needed to win• In some systems, there

is a run-off election

Let the Lions show you!

Proportional Representation

• Votes are cast for a party, not a candidate

• Parties are awarded vote based upon the percentage of votes received

• If many parties gain representation, coalitions form

• Candidates are chosen from a list provided before the election by the political party.

Alternative Voting

• Voters create an order of preferred candidates. The least popular candidates are eliminated until someone wins the majority or is the last person standing.

• Let the Cats show you!

Mixed Systems

• Many countries combine elements of SMD with Proportional Representation

• Back to the Lion Kingdom!

The Electoral College

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUS9mM8Xbbw&feature=relmfu

Elections in China

• People vote for representatives of the People’s Congresses, who select members of the National Party Congress

• It is a rubber stamp legislature

• So, the election system in China doesn’t have much impact on the party system

Elections in Iran

• Elections are competitive, with high voter turnout

• Iran uses a FPTP/SMD system

• Candidates must be approved by the Guardian Council

Elections in the UK

• The House of Commons is selected using a FPTP/SMD system

• The PM is chosen by the House of Commons, from the majority party

• This is a parliamentary system

A parliamentary system functions the same as our congressional system, except they do not have an executive branch. It is replaced with a prime minister who is elected by majority of parliament.

Elections in Mexico

• The Chamber of Deputies is elected using a mixed system

• 300 seats are winner-take-all

• 200 seats are proportional

• Why did the PRI establish this mixed system?

Elections in the US

• Congress is selected using FPTP/SMD

• There is one winner in each House district, whomever wins the most votes

• The is one winner per election for the Senate, whomever wins the most votes

• The presidential vote is decided by the electoral college.

Elections in Nigeria

• The Senate is elected with three senators per state

• The House of Representatives uses SMD

• The president must receive 25% of the votes in 2/3 of the states.

• What is the reason for this requirement?

Elections in Russia

• In 2003, 225 seats in the Duma were proportional and 225 seats were SMD

• In 2007, a party/list proportional system was instituted, with a 7% threshold

• Why did the Putin administration suggest this change?

Testing Our Thesis

• How do our six countries prove or disprove our thesis that there is a correlation between election systems and parties?

• What is that correlation?

Elections in China

• People vote for representatives of the People’s Congresses, who select members of the National Party Congress

• It is a rubber stamp legislature

• So, the election system in China doesn’t have much impact on the party system

China

• Basically, China is a one-party state• There is dual rule in China: rule by the

government and rule by the CCP• There are eight other officially recognized

parties, serving the function of interest groups

• One party rule means the absence of opposition

Elections in Iran

• Elections are competitive, with high voter turnout

• Iran uses a FPTP/SMD system

• Candidates must be approved by the Guardian Council

Comparing China and Iran

• In what respects are the electoral systems in Iran and China alike?

• Why don’t electoral systems matter as much in Iran and China?

Parties in Iran

• Parties were legalized in 1998

• They are weak and still developing

• Factions exist: reformist, technocrats, conservatives

Elections in the UK

• The House of Commons is selected using a FPTP/SMD system

• The PM is chosen by the House of Commons, from the majority party

• This is a parliamentary system

Parties in the UK

• There are two main parties: Conservative and Labour

• The Liberal Democrats serve as a third party

• There are regional parties:– The Scottish

Elections in Mexico

• The Chamber of Deputies is elected using a mixed system

• 300 seats are winner-take-all

• 200 seats are proportional

• Why did the PRI establish this mixed system?

Parties in Mexico

• PAN is the National Action Party, which is conservative and pro-business

• PRD, the Democratic Revolutionary Party, is leftist and favors social welfare programs

• PRI, the Institutional Revolutionary Party, used patronage to maintain control

Elections in the US

• Congress is selected using FPTP/SMD

• There is one winner in each House district, whomever wins the most votes

• The is one winner per election for the Senate, whomever wins the most votes

• The presidential vote is decided by the electoral college.

Parties in the US

• There are two major parties

• FPTP/SMD encourages this

• So does the Electoral College

Elections in Nigeria

• The Senate is elected with three senators per state

• The House of Representatives uses SMD

• The president must receive 25% of the votes in 2/3 of the states.

• What is the reason for this requirement?

Parties in Nigeria

• There are two major parties: The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP)

• The Alliance for Democracy (AD) is a weak third party

• What country does this resemble?

Elections in Russia

• In 2003, 225 seats in the Duma were proportional and 225 seats were SMD

• In 2007, a party/list proportional system was instituted, with a 7% threshold

• Why did the Putin administration suggest this change?

Parties in Russia

• United Russia--Putin’s party, the strongest political party

• CPRF--Communist Party, still garners much support

• Liberal Democrats--racist and nationalist

• Numerous smaller parties

Elections and Parties in the UK

• What has been the impact of FPTP/SMD in the UK?

• Who would want to maintain this system?

• Why?

Testing Our Thesis

• How do our six countries prove or disprove our thesis that there is a correlation between election systems and parties?

• What is that correlation?

Voting SystemsCountries that use FPTP:

Countries that use Proportional Representation:

Countries that use Alternative:

Countries that use a mix:

Countries with strong two party systems:

Countries with strong third parties:

Countries with weak political parties:

PR- Votes are cast for a party, not a candidate. Parties are awarded vote based upon the percentage of votes received. If many parties gain representation, coalitions form

FPTP/SMD: Winner-take all. One winner per district. Majority vote is not needed to win. In some systems, there is a run-off election

Alternative: Voters create an order of preferred candidates. The least popular candidates are eliminated until someone wins the majority or is the last person standing.

Mixed System: Many countries combine elements of SMD with Proportional Representation

Electoral College: Three representatives are given to each state. Additional votes are given on population size. Winner is FPTP.