French Electoral Politics: A Case Study in Electoral Systems

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What are the prevailing definitions of democracy?

Class suggestions: Equality of the people Checks & balances Freedom of speech, association Right to own property Due process before the law

“A system in which the most powerful decision makers are selected through fair and periodic voting procedures in which candidates can compete for votes, and in which virtually all the people have the right to vote.”

- Samuel Huntington

Definitions of Democracy, cont’d.

Robert Dahl’s 8 essential components of a full (liberal) democracy:

1) Right to vote2) Right to be elected/eligibility for public office3) The right of political leaders to compete for support and votes4) Free and fair elections5) Freedom of association6) Freedom of expression7) Alternative sources of information8) Institutions that make government policies dependent on votes and voter

preference- Robert Dahl, Polyarchy

France: A Democracy?

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• France is an electoral democracy• Elites in executive and legislative branch elected, responsive to voters

• High rate of participation• 2007 Presidential Election: ~44 million registered (60 million total)

83% of those registered vote

• Media operate freely

• Freedom of religion is protected by Constitution• Controversial law in 2004 bans “ostentatious” religious symbols in school

• Freedom of assembly & association respected

• Well qualified judiciary with firm rule of law

• Gender equality, rights of homosexuals protected

Source: Freedom House

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Paris, France: The streets of the country's capital are filled with workers who are worried about what is going to happen to their jobs in the economic downturn. January 29, 2009.

What type of democracy?

Characteristics of French model in comparative politics:

1) Presidential-parliamentary system of governance

2) Two round system for presidential and single-member legislative elections

3) Unitary center-periphery relations

France: A Brief HistoryMonarchy and Absolutism (e.g. Louis XIV)

First Republic (1782-1804) French Revolution and end of monarchy (1789) Napoleon is named Emperor (1804-1815)

Second Republic (1848-1852)

Third Republic (1870-1940) WWI (1914-1918) WWII (1939-1945)

Fourth Republic (1946-1958)

Fifth Republic (1958-Present) Charles de Gaulle serves as President (1959-1969) Constitutional Amendment expanding presidential power (1962) Algerian War for Independence (1954-1962) François Mitterrand elected President (1980) Jacques Chirac elected Prime Minister - First cohabitation (1986) Referendum reduces presidential term to 5 years (2002) Nicolas Sarkozy elected President (2007)

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Presidential Parliamentarian System

Dual-executive system President and prime minister each with significant

decision-making powers Maximizes efficiency of decision-making process in

parliamentary system Provides stability of executive authority in presidential

system Seeks separation-on-powers Danger of all-too powerful president

Institutions of governance

Dual executive: President serves 5-year term

Directly elected, appoints Prime Minister and Cabinet of Ministers, command military, may submit questions to referendum

Cannot post legislation, but strongly urge P.M. and National Assembly to act

Preeminent figure if supporters control Parliament, he sets tone Examples Charles de Gaulle, Nicolas Sarkozy

Prime Minister Manages agenda in Parliament, maintains party discipline Must command majority Subject to no-confidence resolutions

Much of 5th republic P.M. and President of same party Cohabitation: When President is of different party than majority in

Parliament President will guide foreign policy and P.M. determines domestic affairs

Institutions of governance II

Legislature 577-seat National Assembly serve 5-year term

Principal legislative body May force resignation of cabinet via censure motion

321-seat Senate Chosen via electoral college Limited legislative power

Multiple mandates Customary for members of Parliament to have additional offices (e.g. deputy-

mayor)

Judiciary Independent, ensures rule of law

Judicial, administrative bodies Conseil d’État oversee executive decisions

Elections Part I

What are the different categories of elections?

Elections Part Deux What type of system does France have?

President Directly elected to five-year term Candidates that win more than 50% in the first round win seat Otherwise 2nd round: the candidates that wins the most votes wins the

seat

National Assembly - 577 members Single-district, plurality system (2 rounds of voting) Also subject to runoff

Senate - 321 members Elected for six-year terms by an electoral college of elected

representatives from each département

National referendums on key issues

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2007 French Presidential ElectionsCandidate (Parties) 1st Round 2nd Round

Nicolas Sarkozy 11,448,663 18,983,138(Union for a Popular Movement) (31.1%) (53.06%)

Ségolène Royal 9,500,112 16,790,440(Socialist Party) (25.87%) (46.94%)

François Bayrou 6,820,119 (Union for French Democracy) (18.57%)

Jean-Marie Le Pen 3,834,530 (National Front) (10.44%)

Olivier Besancenot 1,498,581 (Revolutionary Communist League) (4.08%)

Not a 2-party system, but power alternates betw. steady left / right coalitions

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Centralization Unitary v. Federalism

What is the difference?

France as a model unitary state High degree of political centralization

Authority, sovereignty, policy dictated by “center”

Role of state in construction of French identity

Expansive powers in all aspects of daily life State industry, education

Local government largely subservient

Growing call for regionalism

Comparative with Other Systems

How does this contrast with the U.S. system?

Other systems we’ve studied?

More or less democratic?