Political Science 1020E Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Plurality Voting System, Majoritarianism, Joseph Schumpeter
4 Feb 2016
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Document Summary
Connects up with liberal emphasis on competitive and participatory election. Liberal and representative democracy are very much intertwined. A product of the modern democratic system and its development. Voters elect not just representatives, but governments. Legislatures remain less than microcosms of society as a whole. Competitive election- schumpeter 2+ parties, open ended. Contra schumpeter: freedom of association and expression, fair access to media, clear and transparent party finding rules. Making governments: elections influence formation of governments. Providing representation: when they are fair and competitive, elections are a means through which demands are channeled from the public to the government. Influencing policy: elections deter governments from pursuing radical and unpopular policies. Educating voters: campaigning provides abundance of information about parties, candidates, policies, etc. Strengthening elites: elections can be used as a tool through which elites can manipulate and control the masses. Majoritarian bias plurality of vote can add up to majority of seats.
