lijphart c7: exec-legislative relations c8: electoral systems
TRANSCRIPT
LijphartC7: Exec-legislative relations
C8: Electoral Systems
Presidential V. Parliamentary Major Differences
Separation and confidence Nature of election Collegial v. noncollegial
Other Differences Separation of powers means that executive officers cannot
serve in the legislature (there are some exceptions in some parliamentary systems)
Presidents cannot dissolve the legislature Head of State v. Head of Government
Simple Models: Parl v. PresSource: http://dss.ucsd.edu/~mshugart/semi-presidentialism.pdf
Veto Gates: UK v. US UK: One veto gate: House of Commons
(ignoring House of Lords, which is not powerless, but is definitely weaker than House of Commons)
US has three elected veto gates Presidency House of Representatives Senate
Veto Gates: UK v. US
US: Separate origin and survival of each institution: --must transact Inter-branch transactions, even if the same party has
presidency and congressional majorities
Parliamentary Systems with Minority or Coalitional Governments Still hierarchical relationship of cabinet to
parliament …cabinet survives only so long as it does not lose the “confidence” of the legislative majority
But absence of a majority means inter-party transactions (i.e., among multiple veto players)
Presidential Systems: US v. BrazilCompared to the US, Brazil’s presidency is
“stronger”: Decree power
And “weaker”: Veto can be overridden by 50%+1 (not two thirds)
Note: Lula’s PT won 19.2% of the vote for Senate in 2006, electing 6 of the 27 senators up for election and 15% of the vote for deputies, winning 83 out of 513 seats
Hybrid/Semi-Presidential/Mixed Systems President elected by the public Appoints a PM and Cabinet Subject to
Parliamentary Approval “Cohabitation” Examples: France, Russia (many others)
Semi-Presidential Systems
On Varieties of Semi-Presidentialism
France (a Premier-Presidential System) France 1981: François Mitterrand, Socialist
Party, elected President in May, 1981 But National Assembly (474 seats, five-year
term), elected in 1978:Mitterrand’s alliance:
Socialists 102 Communists 86
OppositionGaullists 178UDF 124
France 1981: President Mitterrand exercised his constitutional authority to dissolve parliament
1978 1981 (14 June)Mitterrand’s alliance:
Socialists 102 268Communists 86 43
OppositionGaullists 142 80 UDF 124 59
…able to appoint a Socialist premier and cabinet (Pierre Mauroy)
1986 National Assembly election
Mitterrand’s alliance:Socialists 198
Communists 32
OppositionGaullists 146
UDF 128
Cohabitation!Mitterrand had to appoint a premier from the
Gaullist–UDF alliance (Jacques Chirac)
France 1988: Mitterrand reelected, dissolved parliament again
1986 1988Mitterrand’s alliance:
Socialists 198 260Communists 32 24
OppositionGaullists 146 123 UDF 128 130
…Mitterrand able to appoint a Socialist premier again (Michel Rocard)
France 1997 President is now Jacques Chirac, elected
1995 Chirac dissolved parliament in 1997
France 19971993 1997
Chirac’s allianceGaullists 243 132UDF 209 161
Left oppositionSocialists 67 244Communists 24 35
…Chirac must appoint a Socialist premier (Lionel Jospin). Cohabitation again!
Semi-Presidentialism in Poland is Confusing
President Lech Kaczyński
PM Jarosław Kaczyński
Electoral Formula: Plurality/Majority Systems v. PR Types of Plurality/Majority
SMD/FPTP True majority systems
2-Round run-off systems often used in presidential races like in AL primaries
French System Alternative Vote
Electoral Formula: Plurality/Majority Systems v. PR PR Systems
List PR lists are closed (signif?) differing PR formulae
Mixed Member Proportional STV
Political Effect of Electoral Rules Mechanical Effects: how do the rules impact
the translation of votes into seats? Psychological Effects: how do those impacts
influence the choices of voters?
Duverger’s Law & Hypothesis Duverger’s Law: “Plurality rule tends to
reduce the number of parties to two, regardless of the number of issue dimensions” (Taageperga and Shugart 1989:65)
Duverger’s Hypothesis: “PR rules tend not to reduced the number of parties, if the number of issue dimensions favors the existence of many parties” (ibid., 65).
Duverger’s Law & Hypothesis(Source: Taagepera and Shugart, 1989:143)
Duverger’s Law & Hypothesis(Source: Taagepera and Shugart, 1989:144)
Source: Lijphart 1994:154-155
Source: Lijphart 1994:154-155
Ballot Example: Closed List-PR
Source: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/polit/damy/BeginnningReading/PRsystems.htm
Ballot Example: Open List-PR
Source: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/polit/damy/BeginnningReading/PRsystems.htm
STV Example: IrelandSource: Mair 1986: 292
Ireland and STV See:
http://electionsireland.org/counts.cfm?election=2002&cons=57&ref=
Mixed Member Systems
Source: http://www.gnb.ca/0100/Doc/fact7mixed-e.pdf
Mixed Member Systems
German elections: http://www.electionresources.org/de/
A MMP Sample Ballot
German Bundestag Ballot
Source: Lijphart, et al. 1986:160
SourcesNote: material on veto gates and France via
Matthew Shugart (personal correspondence)