POLI 222 Chapter Notes - Chapter reading: Party System
19 Oct 2018
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Reading: alan carins - the electoral system and the pa. Discrimination in favour of a party was the most pronounced for the weakest party on seven occasions and for the strongest party on seven occasions. In the 4 elections from 1921-30 with 3 party contestants, the second party was hurt the most by the electoral system. 1935-53 the electoral system worked against the middle ranking parties and favoured the parties with the weakest and strongest support. The explanation for the failure is explained with darwinian logic which distributed rewards to the large parties and penalties to the small parties. The electoral system positively favours minor parties with sectional strongholds and discourages minor parties with diffuse support. Brokerage politics minimize differences, restrains fissiparous tendencies and helps knit together the diverse interest if a polity weak integration. Individuals can relate to the party system in several ways - but mostly class and sectionalism.
