POL SCI 50 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Economic Inequality, Bourgeoisie, Consociationalism
Document Summary
Electoral system- the political rules that translate citizens" votes into legislative seats and/or control of a directly elected executive. Plurality rule- the candidate who receives the largest share of the votes in the district wins, even if that share is less than a majority of 50 percent +1 of the votes. Majority rule- requires that candidates obtain a majority of 50 percent +1 of the votes in the district to win. Proportional representation- an electoral system that distributes seats proportionally to the vote each party receives. Mixed electoral rules- combine a plurality or majority electoral rule to elect some members of the national legislature with a pr electoral rule to elect the remainder. Non-partisan democracy- democracy with no official political parties. Single-party system- only one political party is legally allowed to hold power. One-party dominant system- multiple parties may legally operate, but in which only one particular party has a realistic chance of gaining power.