1. Elections and Democracy
Based upon Is This Any Way to Run a Democratic Election? By Stephen J. Wayne, 2007 CQ Press

2. What good are elections?
Elections tie citizens to their government
Elections are a means by which the public can hold these officials accountable for their actions
Elections keep officials responsive

3. Voters need information
Information informs judgment
A free press facilitates the acquisition of information
Sound judgment is critical because elections confer legitimacy on government and what it does

4. Criteria for democratic elections
Political equality
Universal suffrage
Meaningful choice
Free flow of information about candidates, issues, and parties

5. Democratic electoral systems
Plurality rule in single-member districts
The candidate who wins the most votes within an electoral district wins.
Advantage: simple, direct
Disadvantage: Minorities less likely to be represented
Proportional voting
Winners determined in proportion to the vote that they or their party receives
Advantage: fair, more accurate representation of minorities
Disadvantage: majoritarian sentiment difficult to discern.

6. Democratic electoral systems
Election procedures are not neutral
They benefit some at the expense of others
This conflict creates ongoing tensions within the democratic electoral system
It’s politics!

7. Part II: Tensions within a democratic electoral system
Tensions exist within a democratic political system between:
Political liberty and equality
Majority rule and majority rights
A free press and an informed electorate

8. Liberty versus equality
Democracy is based on the consent of the governed, and the ability to give or withdraw consent is critical
Political liberty: the right to vote one’s choice, the right not to vote, the right to choose without duress
Problem: Personal freedom may undermine equity

9. Majority rule versus minority rights
If every vote is equal, those with the most votes should win
Problem: plurality voting systems over-represent the majority
Problem: proportional voting tends to inhibit the building and maintenance of a governing majority

10. A free press versus an informed electorate
The public cannot assess candidates without necessary information
Problem: most providers of information are stakeholders, which affects the information they provide
The resolution of this problem rests on the foundation of a free press
Necessarily unfettered
Not necessarily neutral

11. Summary What is a representative democracy?
How can we provide citizens with equal opportunities to influence the shape of government without restricting their freedom to pursue self interests and to use their resources?
How can we provide electoral mechanisms that are, simultaneously,
Efficient?
Representative?
Effective?
Accountable?
Dynamic?
Deliberative?

12. Dilemmas Universal suffrage versus non-voting
Many choices of candidates versus few good choices
Equal counting off all votes versus lack of equal benefit
Free press versus biased and irresponsible press

13. Discussion Questions
How nearly universal must suffrage be for the popular will to be heard?
Can elections be structured to reflect simultaneously both majority and minority views?
What current electoral issues pit individual liberty against political equality?
To what extent is the democratic goal of an informed electorate that makes enlightened judgments on election day realistic, and to what extent is it even necessary?
Can the news media serve simultaneously the informational needs of the electorate and the profit motive of media owners?
What are the most serious electoral problems today that threaten the democratic character of the political system?