[lbo-talk] UK election exit polls (whatever happened to the Liberal Democrats)

[Wojtek S]

[WS:] The main benefit of a PR system is that it is much easier to bring
down a government than under the majoritarian system.  Under  the PR system
all that is required is a breakdown of the ruling coalition, whereas under
the majoritarian system you need a recall election.  Coalition breakdowns
happen often, whereas recall elections almost never succeed.

The point is not how you get people into the government, but how you get
them out after they get there.  Given the electoral politics, especially in
the US, random selection would probably produce better results than
elections.  However, a threat of coalition breakdown and no-confidence vote
provides more checks and balances on major parties.  So from that POV, a PR
system is more "democratic" than a majoritarian system.

Wojtek

On Tue, May 11, 2010 at 8:39 AM, James Heartfield <
Heartfield at blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:


> Mike writes: 'Is it true that if the proportional representation system,
> which the Lib Dems were running on, became electoral law, the Conservatives
> could never hope to gain government again, except through coalition?'
>
> Well, that's one way of looking at it.
>
> Another would be that under proportional representation you would have a
> lot more of the kind of back-room deals that you see going on right now,
> with voters' choice coming a poor second to the spin-doctors' skullduggery.
> A
>
> nd is it true that you get no right wing government under PR? That's not
> what the Italian example would suggest.
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