Memorandum

To: Professor Karen Thompson

From: Justin Ackerman
Date: 1 June, 2014
u!"ect: #ritin$ definitions and descriptions

%nside this memo is &our re'uest for a technica( definition and e)tended technica( description of
somethin$ from m& fie(d* % +i(( !e discussin$ the historica( conte)t and different t&pes of proportiona(
representation ,P-. e(ection s&stems*
Audience
The audience for m& definition and description +i(( !e an&!od& of /otin$ a$e !ecause these e(ection
s&stems are re(e/ant for an&!od& in/o(/ed in the $o/ernmenta( process* As such most readers +i(( ha/e
at (east a hi$h schoo( education*
Problem
Throu$h this technica( definition and description % +i(( !e creatin$ a+areness of a(ternati/e e(ection
s&stems* This is important !ecause the 0nited tate1s current s&stems creates man& issues, man& of
+hich +i(( !e discussed durin$ m& e)tended technica( definition* This information +i(( a(so !e usefu(
+hen ad/ocatin$ for po(ic& chan$es and is "ust $enera((& $ood kno+(ed$e to possess*
Placement
The e)tended technica( definition +i(( feature a !rief histor& of proportiona( representation in 2urope,
and then in the 0nited tates* This section +i(( ha/e on supportin$ ima$e, a map of the +or(d
hi$h(i$htin$ countries +ho use proportiona( representation* The technica( description +i(( fo((o+ this
and focus on the different t&pes of proportiona( representation e(ections* pecifica((& ho+ each s&stem
a((ocates /otes* The fi$ures in this section +i(( sho+ a !reakdo+n of a P- (e$is(ature and a P- !a((ot*
The History of Proportional Representation
PR's Humble Beginnings
Proportiona( representation is a /otin$ s&stem
+hich attempts to ref(ect the true /ote of the
peop(e !& !asin$ representation in the
(e$is(ature on percenta$e of the /ote*
3ontrar& to First Past the Post +here the one
candidate +ith a p(ura(it& of the /ote +ins*
Proportiona( representation !e$an as a
s&stem used for schoo( e(ections in
14
th
centur& 2n$(and* The !asic idea that
formed in schoo( e(ections +as then used
to e(ect the cit& counci( of a sma(( Austra(ian
to+n, Ade(aine* A t&pe of proportiona(
representation, in$(e 5ote Transfer +hich +i((
!e discussed more in depth (ater, +as then adopted
!& Denmark in 1678 makin$ it the first nation to
use P- as their nationa( e(ection s&stem*
This mo/e +as 'uick(& fo((o+ed !& Ar$entina Fi$ure 1* P- $o/ernments !& countr&
makin$ them the first of man& nations to s+itch
to P- e(ections* Man& nations around the +or(d
'uick(& adopted the ne+ s&stem, (eadin$ to man&
/ariations +hich +i(( !e discussed in depth (ater*
PR in Europe After World War One
Proportiona( representation s&stems +ere used infre'uent(& !efore #or(d #ar 9ne*
:o+e/er after the +ar man& 2uropean nations s+itched to proportiona(
representation* +it;er(and mo/ed to+ards a referendum !ased $o/ernment in 1414
+hich opened the door for a P- s&stem* +eden, Fin(and, and <or+a& mo/ed to
proportiona( representation s&stems /er& simi(ar in nature in the 1420s* 9ther
2uropean countries mo/ed to+ards P- s&stems after #or(d #ar T+o, France and
=erman& !ein$ the most note+orth&* Fina((& +hen the modern da& 2uropean 0nion
formed in 144> P- s&stems spread across 2urope* This means the 20 of toda& added
26 countries to the (ist of P- s&stems, he(pin$ make it the most popu(ar e(ection
s&stem in the +or(d* Despite this it has not had much popu(arit& in the 0nited tates*
PR and the United tates
P- s&stems fi) man& of the pro!(ems the 0nited tates first past the post s&stem
creates* <ame(& the t+o part& s&stem and underrepresentation of minorit& opinions*
For e)amp(e a candidate +ith ?1@ of the /ote cou(d !e radica((& different than one
+ith 44@ of the /ote (eadin$ to a hu$e difference !et+een a representati/e and a (ar$e
chunk of their constituenc&* P- has made a resur$ence in the 0nited tates at the (oca(
(e/e( (eadin$ to po(itica( di/ersit& in some American cities* For e)amp(e an Francisco
uses a P- s&stem and as such features representation from !oth the =reen and
Ai!ertarian parties* This di/ersit& is somethin$ that has !een (ackin$ at the nationa(
(e/e(* Proportiona( representation has its historica( roots in a num!er of nations around
the +or(d +hich pro/ide for the numerous structura( differences % +i(( discuss durin$
m& technica( description*
Ho!Proportional Representation Wor"s
Proportiona( representation e(ection
s&stems aim to create a true
representation of /otin$ resu(ts*
This is done !& $i/in$ each part& a
num!er of seats in a (e$is(ati/e
!od& !ased on the num!er of /otes
recei/ed* For e)amp(e if a po(itica(
part& recei/es >0@ of the /ote the&
+ou(d $ain >0 /otes in a 100 /ote
(e$is(ature*
The effects of proportiona(
representation can !e seen in fi$ure
1 on the top ri$ht side*
The (e$is(ati/e makeup !ein$ dependent on /oter percenta$e is true of a(( proportiona(
representation s&stems* :o+e/er the e(ection process itse(f chan$es dependin$ on +hich
of the t+o main t&pes of proportiona( representation e(ection s&stems are !ein$
emp(o&ed* These t+o t&pes are part& (ist s&stems and sin$(e /ote transfer s&stems*
Party #ist ystems
Part& (ist s&stems are a t&pe of proportiona( representation s&stem +hich $i/e /oters a
(ist of mem!ers from each po(itica( part& and the& choose from there* 2(ectorates are
part of (ar$e mu(ti mem!er /otin$ districts and each po(itica( part& fie(ds enou$h
candidates to fi(( e/er& seat in the district* 5oters then /ote for a part&1s +ho(e (ist and a
percenta$e of that (ist +hich matches that parties percent of the /ote +i(( $ain seats in
the (e$is(ature* Part& (ist s&stems are further !roken do+n dependin$ on ho+ the (ist
itse(f is created* This creates 9pen Aist &stems, 3(osed Aist &stems, and Aoca( Aist
&stems, each used in a num!er of countries around the +or(d*
Open #ist ystem
9pen (ist s&stems (ist the candidates !&
part& in an order determined !& the part&
itse(f* 5oters /ote for an indi/idua( part&
mem!er, and !& doin$ so a(so /ote for that
particu(ar part&* This a((o+s the part& to
determine +hich indi/idua( mem!ers +i((
!e apart of the (e$is(ature !ased on /oter
preference* 9pen (ist s&stems are used in
countries such as Fin(and and +eden
amon$ others*
Fi$ure 2* 9pen Aist Ba((ot
$losed #ist ystems
3(osed (ist s&stems (ist the candidates !& part&, !ut in no particu(ar order and
/oters do not /ote for indi/idua( candidates* 5oters ha/e one /ote +hich $oes to
a po(itica( part& of their choosin$ and (ater the po(itica( part& decides +hich
mem!ers to send to the (e$is(ature !ased on indi/idua( part& practices* 3(osed
(ist s&stems are used in countries such as -ussia or outh Africa*
#ocal #ist ystems
Aoca( (ist s&stems are the third and fina( t&pe of part& (ist proportiona(
representation s&stem* Aoca( (ist s&stems ha/e t+o part /otin$, one choosin$ the
po(itica( parties candidates the other choosin$ the make up of the countries
(e$is(ature, it functions simi(ar to the open (ist !ut $i/es po(itica( parties more
contro( o/er their e(ection process* To date the (oca( (ist s&stem has on(& !een
used in %ta(&*
ingle %ote Transfer ystems
in$(e /ote transfer s&stems are not re(iant on po(itica( parties (ike (ist s&stems* 9n a
sin$(e /ote transfer !a((ot /oters make a (ist sho+in$ their preference on a(( candidates*
These /otes are ta((ied up creatin$ an a/era$e rank for each candidate +ith the most
popu(ar on top*
%ma$es in order of appearance
1*http:CCen*+ikipedia*or$C+ikiCFi(e:P-Dt&pes*pn$
2*http:CC(eeErhiannon*$reensmps*or$*auCcampai$nsCproportiona(Erepresentation
>*Mount :o(&9ke 3o((e$e