Contextual Determinants of Electoral System Choice - Ã bo Akademi

According to the theoretical arguments put forward in this section, ethnically andculturally fragmented countries should use proportional systems or AV in order tomitigate conflict and promote a peaceful collaboration between societal groups.The theory does not assert that this pattern is likely to be found in the countries ofthe world – it is first and foremost intended as a device for plural societies.3.2.3.1.2 Country SizeCountry size is a structural factor that affects political institutions and practices in amultitude of ways (see e.g. C. Anckar 2000; Dahl and Tufte 1973). In the earlierpresented article ‘Trade and Democratic Institutions’, Rogowski (1987) touchesupon the possible causal relationship between country size and electoral systems.He asserts that small countries are more likely to adopt PR than countries with alarge population. The association is indirect: small countries tend to use PRbecause they are more dependent on trade (1987: 214-215). In addition, smallcountries tend to use large electoral districts. The effect of population is, again,through trade; its direct effect on constituency size is small (1987: 215-219).A direct link between country size and electoral system choice has also beensuggested. Rokkan (1970: 76-77) was the first to deal with this subject. Heobserved that the small democracies in Europe applied PR, whereas the larger oneshad either rejected it or called its maintenance in question. All eleven smallerdemocracies in Europe, except for Iceland, had replaced majoritarian systems withproportional systems by 1922. Britain retained the plurality system, Franceswitched back and forth between PR and majoritarian elections, and the PRarrangements in Germany and Italy were met with resistance and controversies.With reference to contemporary theoretical literature, Rokkan suggested that “PRis tolerable in the smaller units because they face lesser loads of decision-making”.In large countries, which are characterized by heavier burdens of responsibility, PRmight be a disastrous solution (1970: 77).In an article titled ‘Small States in World Markets: Industrial Policy in Europe’, P.J. Katzenstein (1985) deals with the association between size and electoral systemsfrom another perspective. He argues that the more frequent adoption of PR in smallcountries reflects a search for consensus and compromise. Strive for unity isstronger in small countries than in large ones, which are characterized by zero-sum86