1. Chapter 10
Elections

2. Elections
Allows the mass of people to have a say in the election of leaders (democracy in particular)
Allows the state to mobilize the people and build support for the state by participating in the process of government

3. Elections Way to build support
Can provide referendums (way for people to choose directly whether a policy proposal should pass or not --- people decide policy instead of leaders)

4. Electoral Systems
A legal system for making voting and choosing elected officials
Two types of electoral systems:
Single-Member-District Plurality System (SMDP)
Proporational Representation System (PR)

5. SMDP State divided into districts usually equal in population
One representative is elected from each district to be a member of the state’s legislative body
Whoever gets a plurality (ie, largest number) of the votes wins the seat
A single member is elected just as name indicates

6. SMDP United States and Canada use modified versions of this
These systems tend to be limited to Great Britain and her former colonies

7. PR System Used by most states
The representation of political parties in parliament/legislative body is in proportion to the votes they win
If Party A wins 25% of votes, then A gets 25% of seats in the legislative body

8. Electoral Participation
Varies wildly from state to state
Some states mandate that electoral participation is required (example: Austria)
In United States, voter turnout is higher during Presidential election (2004—about 60%)

9. Paradox of Voting
Idea that for a rational and self-interested voter, the costs of voting will often exceed the expected benefits.