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Difficulty: EasyElectoral Systems and Their Characteristics

Match each electoral system on the left with its primary counting rule or operational mechanism on the right.

  • Plurality System (First-Past-The-Post)The candidate with the highest vote count in a single-member constituency wins, even without an absolute majority.
  • Party List Proportional RepresentationLegislative seats are distributed to political parties according to the percentage of total popular votes they secure.
  • Two-Round System (Second Ballot)A runoff election is conducted between top candidates if no single contender receives over 50% of the vote in the initial ballot.
  • Alternative Vote (Preferential Voting)Voters rank candidates in order of preference, and lower-ranked candidates are successively eliminated until one candidate achieves a majority.

Answer

Plurality System matches with declaring the candidate with the highest vote count elected without needing an absolute majority; Party List Proportional Representation matches with distributing seats according to party vote percentages; Two-Round System matches with holding a runoff if no candidate gets over 50% in the initial ballot; Alternative Vote matches with ranking candidates in order of preference with successive eliminations.
Each electoral system is accurately paired with its operational counting mechanism: Plurality System awards victory to the highest vote getter; Proportional Representation distributes seats proportionally based on party votes; Two-Round System holds a runoff if no candidate achieves over 50%; and Alternative Vote uses preferential ranking and vote transfers.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze Plurality (First-Past-The-Post) mechanics.
It requires only a simple plurality (more votes than any other candidate) to win a constituency seat.
No absolute majority (over 50%) is necessary under simple plurality rules.
2
Analyze Party List Proportional Representation.
It allocates legislative seats based on party vote shares in multi-member districts.
This guarantees that party representation in parliament mirrors voter preferences proportionally.
3
Analyze Two-Round and Alternative Vote systems.
Two-Round uses a second physical election to achieve a majority, whereas Alternative Vote uses voter preference rankings to achieve a majority in counting rounds.
Both systems prioritize achieving absolute majority support for the elected winner.

Key Concept

Operational mechanisms and defining principles of electoral systems.
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Topics

Electoral Systems and Their Characteristics

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