ARHIVELE OLTENIEI - Universitatea din Craiova

Some Aspects Regarding the “Uninominal Vote” 311Advantages and Disadvantages of Majority/Plurality SystemsThe first advantage of these systems is, certainly, their simplicity: the factthat people can understand the whole electoral process (the vote itself as well asthe way of transforming the votes into legislative seats) and that authorities caneasily count the votes and calculate the percentages (if it is necessary).A second one can be that the voters may choose between individualsrather than between political parties. This may improve the political performanceof the candidates and ensure their independence.These are the only two certain and common advantages of the FPTP andof the TRS. From this point forward we must split the discussion.For the FPTP, we must notice other two main advantages:1. “It provides a clear-cut choice for voters between two main parties” 8 .It is well known that this system creates or, at least, conserves the two-partysystem by under-representation of any third party. Duverger assumed that thissituation is the result of a combination of two factors: a mechanical (the underrepresentation)and psychological one (knowing that any vote for a third party isunusefull, people will vote for one of the two with real chances to win themajority) 9 .2. It lead to single-party governments more. In the FPTP unlike in PRSystems the coalition governments are a rare exception. That is why, in thesecases, the Executive is more stable, more powerfull and – som theorists may say– more efficient.The main disadvantage of this system is that “it excludes smaller partiesfrom ‘fair’ representation” 10 . Even if they have good scores at the national levelthey win only few seats in the parliament or no seats at all. This may seem as anadvantage if we think to the extremist parties, but generally it is totally unfair forthe minorities of any type – they may get some seats only if they aregeographically concentrated. The best word to describe this situation is“disproportionality”.The TRS combine the consequences of the FPTP and of the PR System.People chose between individuals rather than between countries but it creates“multi-party systems” 11 and it leads to coalition governments. Minorities are stillunder-represented because they are generally excluded from the electoralcoalitions created for the second ballot 12 . The “disproportionality” is stillpresent, but, regularilly, it is lower than in the FPTP.8 Ibidem, p. 36.9 See M. Duverger, op. cit., p. 315-316.10 Electoral System Design…, op. cit., p. 37.11 See M. Duverger, op. cit., p. 331-337.12 The best example is Jean-Marie Le Pen’s “Front National”: although it has goodscores it is absent from the French National Assembly (but is present in the European Parliament,where French use the PR System), because nobody desires it as an ally in the elections.