1. 3.4 Electoral System (Parties, Groups and Elections)

2. Agenda (10/21—X Day)  Homework: Study for Conceptual Analysis – Remember to think about the “Big” Concepts that we have talked about in this unit … Unitary vs. Federal, Devolution, Presidential vs. Parliamentary, Separation of Powers, Institutions, Electoral Systems, etc. ---Think: Adv./Disadv., similarities/ differences, cause/effect, etc.  Discuss 3.4 Electoral Systems and 3.5  Mock Country  UNIT 3 Test --- Monday, 10/27

3. SWBAT  Identify the advantages and disadvantages of various political party systems through classroom discussion and a sticky note activity.  Analyze the advantages and disadvantages to each electoral system through group discussion and written work  Identify the various types of policies by providing examples of each.  Use empirical data to draw conclusions about various states

4.  Linkage Institutions –  These institutions connect the government to its citizens,  Examples?  political parties, interest groups, and print and electronic media.

5. Political Parties  What exactly is a political party?  In your group, try to come up with a definition of what a political party is/what it does.

6. Political parties –  The organizations responsible for contesting elections and forming governments afterward.  They are the most politically relevant groups in most political systems and are the central link between the elites and the masses.

7.  They can be part of the patron- client system, and they often facilitate clientelism,  there is an elite that provides benefits, that’s how they’re getting elected.  Ex. Provide malaria medication, that’s how they get elected. Elites and citizens are benefitting. Usually just with the elected people

8. Party Identification –  an individual’s attachment to a particular party.  What are some effects of strong and weak party identification?  Voters with strong party identification tend to support candidates from the same party election after election.  Weak party identification leads to a more fluid political system.

9. What do political parties do? Functions of political parties  Parties articulate interests  make their preferences known  and they aggregate interests  bring a large number of issues forward  Label and educate the electorate  Organize the electoral system  Organize the government

10.  They perform many functions in the government  What do you think are some of the functions?  Help bring different people and ideas together to establish the means by which the majority can rule  Provide labels for candidates that help citizens decide how to vote  They hold politicians accountable to the electorate and other political elites

11. One Party System  single-party systems and are ones in which a single political party generates support for the government.  It generally lacks competitiveness; voters have no option to support a part in opposition to the government.  Examples?  China Communist Party CCP

12. Why One-Party or how are One-Party Systems produced?  Most are produced in Authoritarian or procedural/illberal Democracies  Why? Revolution (China) or Coups Charismatic Leader takes control A Constitutional requirement of a single party is produced (China) External threats lead the citizens to rally … Severe ethnic, religious or other fragmentation that allows a single-party to take control An economic crisis that leads to a single party

13. One Party Dominant Systems –  one large party control the political system, but small parties exist and may even compete in elections.  Examples?  Ex. Mexico during the majority of the 20 th century was dominated by the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI)

14. Two-Party system –  rarity in the world. Minor parties might exist, but only the two parties have a reasonable chance of winning national elections.  Usually forms because of the plurality electoral system.  Examples?  Great Britain, US

15. Multi-party system –  these usually arise in countries with strong parliamentary systems, particularly those that use a proportional representation method for elections.  None of the parties generally gain a majority of the seats in the national legislature.  Examples?  Iran, Nigeria, Mexico now

16. Hmmm…something to think about…  The more parties that exist, the more options exists for humans. But, the more parties the greater a need for a coalition.

17.  In your group, discuss whether you would want a one party, one party dominate, two party or multiparty system.  Be able to justify it when we talk about it.

18.  They use different electoral systems –  ways of counting votes and allocating seats. It leads to differences from country to country.  How do elections work in the United States?

19. Elections… Duverger’s law  Plurality elections lead to a two party system, PR systems lead to a multipary system mechanical effect of elections…  Result of the calculation rules convert votes into legislative seats. Only those at the top are winners and the rest are left out of the legislature. PR systems reward many more political contestants providing legislative seats on the basis of each party’s vote share strategic effect of elections  FPTP = small parties have little chance of winning, thus politicians form broad coalitions, gathering diverse constituencies and interests within one party. In a PR system, there is incentive to form parties along specific ideological lines or common interests, since even a small share can be rewarded with legislative representation.

20.  Single Member Districts/First- Past-the-Post  Each district votes on one person to represent them in government.  SMDs make it relatively easy for major party candidates to win and discourage the formation of new parties.

21.  Also known as the plurality system or winner-take-all system because the winner does not need a majority to win, but needs a plurality – more than anyone else.  Creates a two party system  Examples?  US, UK

22. Single-Member District Plurality (SMDP)/First Past the Post (FPTP)/Winner Take All  SMDPlurality= provides a single seat within a district; the seat is awarded to the person who wins the most votes  SMDMajority/First Past the Post= Winner Take All  TWO-PARTY SYSTEM  Advantages: 1) More Stability 2) More efficient in governing and lawmaking 3) Simplifies voter choices/decisions 4) promotes consensus 5) helps prevent ethnic fragmentation  Disadvantages: 1) Lessen choice 2) Prevents/keeps out minor/third parties 3) Lessens participation

23. Majoritarian system  Some electoral systems vary in their approach to the issue of plurality; one option is a runoff election if no candidate receives a majority of the vote.  This is known as a majoritarian system  Creates a multiparty system - WHY? Opportunity for minor parties to make it in the runoff, which in turn gives them a chance to win …

24.  Many countries use Proportional Representation (PR) – the percentage of the vote a certain part receives nationally roughly corresponds to the percentage of seats it receives in the legislatures.  Under this system, parties do not have to win many votes to get into parliament.

25.  As a result, it is easier for new parties to get in the door. Under proportional representation, women tend to me represented more fairly in government.  Voters cast their ballots for a party rather than for a candidate, and the percentage of votes a party receives determines how many seats the party will gain.  Creates a multiparty system  Example?  Russia

26. Proportional Representation (PR)  Seats are distributed according to the proportion of votes a party gets … 50% of the vote the party gets 50% of the seats  Multiparty System  Advantages: 1) More representation for more ethnic groups and women 2) Parties are more accountable 3) More representative of different divisions in society 4) Third parties/minor parties have the opportunity for representation  Disadvantages: 1) Extremist have more opportunity 2) instability 3) Coalitions tend to disintegrate causing instability 4) too many small parties with disproportionate amount of importance

27. Variations on SMD and PR –  Multi-member districts –  in which more than one legislative seat is contested for each district.  Creates a multiparty system

28. Hybrid  Hybrid electoral system –  combines FPTP and PR/MMD approaches by dividing the total seats of the legislature into two groups. One group of seats is determined by the outcome of SMD/FPTP district voting, the other is determined by PR/MMD vote.  Creates a multiparty system  Ex. Mexico

29.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7tW HJfhiyo

30. See if you can match them up …  Ready…set …go!

31. A. Majoritarian B. First Past the Post/Winner take all, plurality, single member district C. Hybrid/Dual D. Proportional representation E. Multimember district 1. The most votes wins 2. Combines PR with SMD 3. More than one winner per district 4. More than ½ 5. The # of votes is proportional to the # of seats in the legislature i.Two Party ii.Multiparty

32. These types of elections are found in democracies  Election of public officials  Referendum –  allows the public to make direct decisions about policy itself.

33.  Plebiscite –  ballot to consult public opinion in a nonbinding way.  Initiative –  a vote on the policy that is initiated by the people.

34. AGENDA (10/20 – Y DAY)  Let’s review the Electoral System and Interest groups … Remember Political Parties want to be the government and Interest groups want to influence the government  Conceptual Analysis --- Remember what I taught you …  Discuss 3.5 Public Policy  Mock Country  Homework – study for Unit 3 test … 10/24!!!

35. One Party Systems --- often Authoritarian  Why One Party Systems? 1) Revolution or coup 2) Charismatic leader emerges 3)Constitutional creation of a single party 4)external threat that leads to unification 5)ethnic or religious fragmentation  Advantages: 1) may create stability with uniform policies 2) policy continuity 3) more efficient because of 1 voice 4)unites ethnicities, often strong nationalism  Disadvantages: 1) No choice 2)Authoritarian 3) No competition, lack of accountability

36. Interest Groups  All industrialized democracies have interest Groups –  seek to promote just about every point of view on just about every imaginable issue.  Trade unions, business groups, and other such organizations that promote a view.

37. Interest Groups  Another Linkage Institution  Interest groups want to INFLUENCE GOVERNMENT!!!

38.  Right-to-Life, NRA, Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, AARP, Sierra Club, ACLU, American Hardware Association, Americans for Energy Independence, National Automotive Dealers Association, grape growers, wine producers, beer producers, liquor producers, furniture producers, forest products, pulp and paper, steel producers, aluminum producers, electronics producers, electronics distributors, Doctors, Dentists, Nurses, Professors, Lawyers, Real Estate Brokers, etc.  Unions, United Garment Workers of America, State and Municipal Employees Union, Teamsters, (Air Traffic Controllers), NEA, AFT, United Farm Workers.

39.  In most countries, trade unions are weaker than they used to be.  Others, like environmental groups, rights for women and children groups etc., are growing in strength.

40. Conclusions about Interest Groups…  2 conclusions…  Business groups have more influence than unions do  The relationships between the states and interest groups vary by country.

41.  Do you think interest groups are free to do as they please in an authoritarian system?  In authoritarian states, groups have almost no independence, or are used to convey to their members the views of the party elite.  What about in a democracy?

42. pluralism  Interest group pluralism. (many groups compete for government influence)  In democracies  Independent and autonomous  Groups compete for access  Groups are not formally linked to the legislative process.

43.  Interest group corporatism – Has absolutely nothing to do with corporations!!!!  Government controls access  Relationship is usually cooperative between the government and the interest groups  Formal relationships exist between the government and interest groups…the government lets in the experts to help write the laws.

44. Corporatism  Usually one per sector.  Hierarchy within groups (follow the leader’s decisions)  Decisions are made behind closed doors  The select interest groups are experts in the area of the law, dominated by peak associations – there are many interest groups that ally together and form under one umbrella – ex. Green group, an ally of all environmental groups.  Mexico and the UK used to be corporatist, but not anymore (none of our countries is corporatist)

45. Functions of an Interest Group  Interest group articulation –  individuals or groups express their needs or made demands on the government  Interest aggregation –  involves putting policy goals into practice, such as a party implementing a law. The trend in this is toward democracy  Grassroots participation is when the people initiate participation and do not necessarily rely on leaders. Ex. the Occupy movement

47.  In your group complete 2 similes  Interest group pluralism is like _______________ because __________________ and ________________.  Corporatism is like _______________ because __________________ and ________________.

48. Political Elites, Leadership and Recruitment  Leadership is the ability to influence members of a particular group to achieve a set of goals without making individuals feel forced into acting in a specific manner.  All countries have political elites –  leaders who have a disproportionate share of policy-making power. In democracies they are selected by competitive elections.

49.  Countries must be concerned about recruiting future leaders and leadership succession – the process that determines the procedure for replacing leaders when they resign, die, or are no longer effective.  Elite Recruitment is the process by which countries identify and select people for future leadership positions. They are usually chosen through the electoral process, but they may have been identified prior to the electoral process based upon another process.

50.  How should countries take part in elite recruitment…and should they even?  In your group, decide this!

51.  WWWW up through 25

52.  Now we are done with what you need for the conceptual analysis…  But we’re going to keep going

53.  Mock Country  Determine the electoral system – that will determine the number of parties  Remember, FPTP, WTA, Plurality and SMD are the only ones that create a 2 party system, all the rest create multiparties.  Name your party/parties and provide a brief platform for them about 2 specific issues.  Example – the Super Cool Party believes that jeans should be worn only on Fridays. They also believe that there should be a flat tax across the board.