Author Question: The Netherlands has only one, nationwide electoral district. Indicate whether this statement is ... (Read 59 times)

dakota nelson · **on:** Jul 8, 2018

The Netherlands has only one, nationwide electoral district.

Indicate whether this statement is true or false.

Question 2

How are representatives selected in majoritarian, proportional and mixed electoral systems?

What will be an ideal response?

marict · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 8, 2018

Answer to Question 1

True

Answer to Question 2

Two electoral systems tend to give one party control: plurality rule and majority
rule. Under plurality rule, the candidate who receives the largest share of the votes in
the electoral district wins the seat, even if that share is less than a majority of 50
percent +1 of the votes. This system is used for elections to the U.S. House of
Representativesand it is also used in the UK and India. In contrast to plurality rule,
majority rule requires that candidates obtain an actual majority of 50 percent +1 of the
votes in an electoral district to win. Sometimesin a three-way race, for exampleno
candidate obtains 50 percent +1 of the votes. When this occurs, countries that use
majority rule then have a second round of elections that pit the top two vote-getters
from the first round against each other. This necessarily results in a majority winner.
Majority rule and plurality rule both employ what are called single-member districts
(SMDs), in which voters cast a ballot for a single representative from their electoral
constituency. In contrast, electoral systems that give groups proportional representation
tend to emphasize limiting a single party's authority, and value representation of
diversity as much or more as accountability. Proportional representation (PR) gives
parties seats in proportion to the number of votes each receives. Unlike SMD systems,
PR systems use multi-member districts (MMDs), in which more than one person is
elected within each electoral constituency. About a third of the world's democracies use
systems that promote majoritarian outcomes and a third use systems that promote
proportional outcomes. The remainder use what are called mixed electoral systems,
which combine elements of both SMD and PR rules, typically by giving voters two
ballotsone for a representative from a single-member district, and one for a list of
candidates elected in a multi-member PR district.