1What are Elections?
The central representative institution that forms a link between the people and their representatives.
It is one of the fundamental requirement to be democratic.
2What are Electoral systems?
The set of rules that structure how votes are cast at elections and how
they are converted into the allocation of offices.
3What are the main preconditions of voting? (4 in total)
• Universal adult suffrage
• A secret ballot
• Free and equal access to polls
• Impartial administration of voting and vote counting
4Explain the evolution of voting rights.
Gradually expansion of voting rights to include Miidle class, Working class from mid 19th to first halt 20 th century.
Women's vote are mostly introduced just after WW2.
5What is one of the central debate concerning Votings?
Should voting be compulsory?
6What are the two main Electoral system and how do they work?
• Proportional Representation (PR) systems (seats are shared among the parties in proportion to their vote shares)
• Majoritarian systems (the strongest party in each constituency wins the seat)
7What are Single-member plurality votings? (majoritarian systems)
Votings where the winner needs a plurality.
8What are alternative votings? (Majoritarian systems)
Votings where the winner needs a majority.
9What are two-rounds system votings? (Majoritarian systems)
Votings where the winner needs a majority in the first round and only a plurality in the second.
10Elaborate list vs mixed system.
• list systems - each party presents a list of candidates to the voters
• Mixed systems - voters can cast two votes, one for local constituency, one for party list.
11What are the dimensions of variation?
• District magnitude (how many MP's per constituency?)
• Degree of intra-party choice (do voters choose the candidate or just the party?)
• Threshold (What minimum share of votes is needed to win seats?)
12What is the consequence of the electoral system?
Electoral systems shape political systems.
13To what tend Non-PR systems and PR systems?
• Non-PR systems tend to produce two-party systems
• PR system tend to produce multiparty systems
14What are the two main factors that define Voter turnout?
• System (e.g. the importance of the election)
• Individual (Age, gender, ect...)
15Why do people vote what they do? Give two examples of theorie that try to explain this.
• Political Sociology theory
• Psychological Approaches theory
• Rational Choice theory
16What are referendums?
When a mass electoral votes on a public issue.