Electoral systems and the protection and participation of minorities

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Table 1: Minority members in national legislaturesCountryMinority (% of population)Seat (%)Under/overNo. ofelectionsElec. sys.AfghanistanHazara (16.0)Tajik (30.0)Uzbek (13.0)12.021.38.0-4.0-8.7-5.01*SNTVAustraliaAborigines (1.4)0.0-1.45AVBelgiumFrancophones (32.0)40.38.34List PRBulgariaTurks (9.4)6.9-2.54List PRCanadaFrancophones (20.9)Asian* (1.5)Black* (1.2)Inuit* (3.5)24.55.21.30.63.63.70.1-2.93FPTPDenmarkMuslim (1.3)Inuit (0.9)Faroese (0.9)1.11.11.1-0.20.20.21*List PREstoniaRussophones (30.3)4.7-25.64List PRFijiIndo-Fijian (42.0)38.0-4.01*AVFinlandSwedes (5.8)7.71.93List PRFr. PolynesiaWhites (10.1)Chinese (3.7)15.85.35.71.61*List PRGermanyNth Africa/Mid East (3.0)0.6-2.41*MMPIndiaMuslims (11.4)5.3-5.14FPTPIrelandNon-Whites (0.5)0.0-0.51*STVIsraelArabs (Palestinians) (17.5)Druze (1.5)7.51.0-10.0-0.544List PRLatviaRussians (33.1)9.3-23.84List PRLithuaniaPoles (7.0)Russians (8.5)3.12.4-3.9-6.133List PRMalawiAsian (0.1)1.0(0.9)1*FPTPMongoliaKazaks (5.9)4.2-1.72BVNamibiaWhite (5.0)8.33.31*List PRNew ZealandMaori (12.3)Pacific Islander (5.0)Asian (0.5)16.03.02.03.7-2.01.51*MMPThe NetherlandsAfrica/Mid East/Turk (4.0)Caribbean (1.3)6.73.32.72.01*List PRNorwayAsian/Non-White (2.0)0.6-1.41*List PR12 ELECTORAL SYSTEMS AND THE PROTECTION AND PARTICIPATION OF MINORITIES
RomaniaHungarians (7.1)Roma (1.8)7.50.30.4(-1.5)33List PRSlovakiaHungarians (10.8)Russian (1.0)12.40.7(1.6)(-0.3)55List PRSloveniaHungarians (0.4)Italians (0.1)1.12.3(0.7)(2.2)44List PRSouth AfricaWhite (14.0)Coloured (8.0)Indian (2.4)29.38.96.9(15.3)(0.9)(4.5)222List PRSwedenMed/Mid East (1.9)Black (0.1)Latino (0.1)Sami (0.2)1.81.20.60.3(-0.1)(1.1)(0.5)(0.1)1*List PRSwitzerlandFrancophones (18.0)Italophones (7.0)Romansh (0.7)22.54.01.1(4.5)(-3.0)(0.4)444List PRTrinidad & TobagoAfro (37.0)Mixed (20.0)Chinese (2.0)41.711.13.0(4.1)(-8.9)(1.0)1*FPTPUnited KingdomAfro-Caribbean (0.9)Asian (2.9)0.60.7(-0.3)(-2.2)33FPTPUnited StatesAfrican-American (12.1)Latino (8.9)Native American (0.8)8.44.30.1(-3.7)(-4.6)(-0.7)777FPTPZambiaWhite (0.1)Asian (0.1)0.70.7(0.6)(0.6)1*FPTPZimbabweWhite (0.5)0.7(0.2)1*FPTPNOTE: AVERAGE 1990–2003 (OR MOST RECENT PARLIAMENT WHERE NOTED *)SOURCES: MINORITY %: WORLD DIRECTORY OF MINORITIES, LONDON, MRG. 1997. ELECTORAL SYSTEM: ANDREW REYNOLDS, BEN REILLY, AND ANDREW ELLIS. THE INTERNATIONAL IDEA HANDBOOK OFELECTORAL SYSTEM DESIGN. 2005. 1990–2003 DATA FROM LUBLIN (UNPUB. 2006); MOST RECENT ELECTION DATA BY AUTHOR.Table 2: Under/over-representation by electoral systemList PR(17 cases)FPTP(8)MMP(2)AV(2)BV(1)STV(1)SNTV(1)No. of groups over/under-represented21 over13 under9 over8 under2 over2 under0 over2 under0 over1 under0 over1 under0 over1 underAverage-0.6+0.9*-0.80.2-2.7-1.7-0.5-5.9NOTE: * WITH LATVIA AND ESTONIA REMOVED.The data collected in Tables 1 and 2 generally supportconventional wisdom about the likelihood of minoritysuccess under various election systems, but the survey of31 countries also illustrates that broader institutions ofpower-sharing, economic power held by a minority communityand geographical concentration also help ensurethat members of minorities are elected to parliament. Ofthe 62 minority groups analysed, 32 are ‘over-represented’when compared to their share of the population while 30groups are under-represented. When the minority isELECTORAL SYSTEMS AND THE PROTECTION AND PARTICIPATION OF MINORITIES13
Page 6 and 7: to fully realize minority interests
Page 8 and 9: tion if these whole classes of peop
Page 10 and 11: Electoral system choices andconsequ
Page 12 and 13: The global trend in electoral syste
Page 16 and 17: greater than 10 per cent of the pop
Page 18 and 19: Table 5: Cases of reserved seats, c
Page 20 and 21: Country Type of mechanism Size ofle
Page 22 and 23: The moulding effects ofelectoral sy
Page 24 and 25: likely to accentuate majority-minor
Page 26 and 27: communities, such as the Roma or th
Page 28 and 29: sonable chance of being elected. Wh
Page 30 and 31: RecommendationsTo all involved in d
Page 32 and 33: Notes1 Although they rarely pay a s
Page 34 and 35: ReferencesBaldwin, C., Minority Rig
Page 36: working to secure the rights ofmino

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