Domestic Political Structures: Law, Constitutions, the Judiciary

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Proportional Representation: the priority of such system is to reflect as wide a range of opinions as possible. It reduces the proportion of ‘wasted votes’ and allows a greater chance of representations to small parties. It tends to lead to coalition governments representing a majority of voters. THE DISADVANTAGES it can lead to a fragmentation of the party system. It can give small parties power out proportion to their electoral support. It can result in political instability, as a succession of coalitions are stitched together and fall apart.

Alternative Model: some representatives are elected by simple plurality and others by PR. This system is used in countries like Germany, Japan and Russia. Another system (used for example in France) allows for two rounds of voting when no candidate secures an overall majority at the first attempt.

- The system of US Presidential elections (Electoral College: where voters cast their ballots for electors who, in turn, elect the President) direct elections where voter elect the president by national popular vote

- Why did political parties emerge? Because it proved too time-consuming to build coalitions from scratch in order to support or oppose every piece of legislation.

- The meaning of “catch-all” parties. Are parties that devote less attention to ideology and more to strategies to win over the median voter, who would make the crucial difference in general election.

- Major factors that affect the party system (for example: the electoral system, economic cleavages in society, the constitution)

- What is Duverger’s law? – A 2 Party system is created when parliament is elected by plurality in single-member districts; a multi-party system is created in proportional representation

- What is Arrow impossibility theorem? Asserts that when a group of people are asked to make a choice between three or more alternatives, it is impossible to conclude that one particular outcome is the “most preferred” one unless is over 50 percent all vote for it.

LECTURE 15 - Civil Society, Interest Groups, and the Media

- What is civil society? All those organizations outside of government and commercial arenas which provide avenues of public participation in society

- Why did the term “civil society” become popular? Because of its perceived role in effecting political changes in a number of states specially:

- There had been growing disenchantment with governments, the downfall of many totalitarian regimes was attributed to movements generated by civil society. Civil society seemed to offer the possibility of peaceful change in other states.

- The meaning of “infrapolitics” refers to the way in which seemingly powerless people undermine the authority of the powerful

- What is “the CNN effect”? the theory, which argues that the development of popular international television news channels has become a major influence on the conduct of foreign policy,

- The main difference between interest groups and political parties?

- Why do some argue that it is more rational to join an interest group than a political party?

- Major criticisms of interest groups result in greater influence for some groups than others, wheather or not they are widely popular

- Insider versus outsider interest groups