The March elections in the Netherlands, and the fact that a government still hasn’t been formed, illustrate both the benefits and problems with proportional representation.
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Articles on First past the post
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During the MMP era, the average vote share of the highest-polling party has been steadily climbing — with big implications for New Zealand democracy.
The success of Malawi’s democratic dispensation will be measured on the extent to which it delivers public goods – opportunities, development, accountability – for the people.
Moeketsi Majoro’s installation as Prime Minister is welcome. But it does not guarantee much needed political stability in an era of complex coalition politics.
Unlike Canada’s newly elected House of Commons, New Zealand’s parliament reflects the will of voters. So do other proportional representation systems. Canada has plenty of choice.
Serious challenges lie ahead for Botswana’s governing party as it celebrates retaining power.
What would the Canadian election results have looked like with electoral reform?
The current crisis in British politics is significant for countries like South Africa where a change in electoral systems is needed.
If you think first past the post or the alternative vote can sort this out, dream on.
For the third time in a row, first past the post has delivered confusion rather than stability.
Politics in Lesotho can look incredibly complicated, with a mish-mash of competing political parties and repeated military interventions. It’s a mess, but it’s not that hard to unravel.
The proposed change to Malawi’s electoral system is straightforward and makes logical sense. Yet it’s more complex and if adopted would revolutionise local politics.
If Labour can turn its fiasco of a leadership election into a voter registration drive, it can push back against a rigged system.
Labour, UKIP and the Greens all gained much bigger swings than the Conservatives, but were election losers. The first-past-the-post system let the Tories pick up a swag of seats with a 0.8% swing.
This week the “mother of parliaments” faces a general election in the UK. The ‘first past the post’ electoral system means we can’t predict the result with certainty, nor expect it to match the vote.
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