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Difficulty: MediumElectoral Systems and Their Characteristics

In a democratic state, an electoral arrangement is designed such that the total number of legislative seats awarded to each political party corresponds directly to the percentage of votes the party receives nationwide, rather than individual constituency victories. Which electoral system is defined by this characteristic?

  1. Proportional representationAnswer
  2. B
    First-Past-The-Post system
  3. C
    Second Ballot system
  4. D
    Alternative vote system

Answer

Proportional representation is the electoral system in which legislative seats are allocated according to the percentage of the total votes won by each political party.
Proportional representation is designed specifically to ensure that political parties gain representation in the legislature in proportion to the total number of votes cast for them nationwide, preventing the underrepresentation of minority parties.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the electoral mechanism described in the stem.
The mechanism awards parliamentary seats in direct proportion to nationwide party vote share.
Identifying the core feature of vote-to-seat conversion is necessary to distinguish electoral systems.
2
Compare the core feature against majoritarian and plurality electoral systems.
Plurality (First-Past-The-Post) and majoritarian systems (Second Ballot, Alternative Vote) award seats to individual candidates winning specific single-member constituencies, often causing discrepancies between total votes and total seats.
Single-member constituency systems prioritize localized candidate victories over nationwide party vote ratios.
3
Select the electoral system matching proportional seat allocation.
Proportional representation ensures that a party winning 30% of the nationwide vote receives approximately 30% of the legislative seats.
This direct proportionality between votes cast and seats won is the defining principle of proportional representation.

Key Concept

Proportional Representation vs Plurality/Majoritarian Electoral Systems
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Electoral Systems and Their Characteristics

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