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The candidate who receives the majority of votes is considered the winner. This is a system for determining the results of elections, according to which the candidate who receives a legal majority of votes is considered elected.

In democratic states, citizens have the right to influence political decisions and express their will, thereby determining the further development of the country. One of the types of electoral systems developed over time is the majoritarian electoral system. Let us briefly consider the concept of a majoritarian system, its features, and also highlight its advantages and disadvantages.

Signs of a majoritarian electoral system

  • the country is divided into districts approximately equal in population, each of which nominates candidates;
  • the candidate who managed to get the most votes wins;
  • there are absolute (more than one-second of votes), relative (more votes compared to another candidate), qualified majority;
  • those who receive a minority of votes in parliament do not receive a seat;
  • is considered a universal system, as it allows taking into account the interests of both voters and parties.

The absolute majority system is most often used in presidential elections, where a candidate needs 50% of the vote plus one vote to win.

Pros and cons

Advantages:

  • creates direct responsibility of the winning candidate to his voters;
  • the winning party constitutes a majority in parliament.

Thus, the majoritarian system forms strong ties between the candidate and his voters. As a result of its use, it is possible to form the most stable government bodies that can work quite effectively, since the parties included in them have similar views.

Flaws:

  • reduces the chances of small parties entering parliament;
  • Elections are often unsuccessful and the procedure has to be repeated.

Thus, some candidates who received an insufficient number of votes find themselves out of politics. It is not possible to trace the real balance of political forces.

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The differences between a majoritarian electoral system and a proportional one are that the merger of groups with common interests occurs before elections are held, and also that it contributes to the creation of a two-party system. The majoritarian system is a historically earlier type.

Country examples

In the Russian Federation, the majoritarian electoral system is used to organize elections of the President of the Russian Federation and heads of constituent entities of the Russian Federation.
In addition, it is also practiced in:

  • Canada;
  • UK;
  • France;
  • Australia.

What have we learned?

A majoritarian electoral system is a system in which the candidate who receives the majority of votes is considered the winner. Like other types of electoral systems, majoritarian has its advantages and disadvantages. Its advantage is the establishment of direct communication between deputies and their voters, which increases their responsibility, as well as the possibility of forming a stable government capable of adopting a unified program of action. But at the same time, the majoritarian system has some disadvantages, which, in particular, include a significant reduction in the chances of small parties entering the government.

The name of this system comes from the French word majorite (majority). The essence of the majoritarian electoral system is that the candidate who receives a certain majority of votes is considered the winner of the election. The legislation of a particular state determines, depending on the type of elections (presidential, parliamentary or local), what kind of majority of votes is required - relative or absolute. In accordance with this, a majoritarian system is distinguished qualified majority relative majority and majoritarian system absolute majority. 3

Majoritarian electoral systems operate primarily in single-member (uninominal) electoral districts, but they can also be used in multi-member (polynomial) electoral districts, in which case voting is based on party lists as a whole.

Majority system of qualified majority

Under a majoritarian system qualified majority the law establishes a certain share of the votes that a candidate (list of candidates) must receive in order to be elected. This share is greater than the absolute majority, i.e. more than 50% plus one vote (2/3, 3/5, 65%, etc.). Thus, the President of Azerbaijan, in order to be elected in the first round, must receive at least 2/3 votes of persons participating in the voting. In Chile, to be elected in the first round, a deputy must also receive 2/3 of the votes. In Italy, before the 1993 reform, it was established that a senatorial candidate must receive at least 65% of all popular votes cast in order to be elected in the first round. In reality, obtaining such a majority is very difficult because the votes are split between different candidates. Therefore, in Italy, in the first round, at best, seven senators out of 315 were elected, sometimes one, or even none.

If no one wins in the first round under a qualified majority system, a second round follows, usually held one to two weeks later. In the second round, under this system, the two candidates with the largest number of votes compared to the others are usually nominated for a new vote. 4

Majority system of relative majority

In a majoritarian system of relative majority, to win the election, a candidate must win more votes than each of the other candidates, even if less than half of the voters voted for him.

Suppose there are 4 candidates running in one constituency, and the votes are distributed among them as follows:

A-11%; B-23%; B-34%; G-32%.

Candidate B will be declared the winner of the election if he receives 34% of the votes, despite the fact that 66% of voters actually voted against him. Thus, the votes of 2/3 of the voters remain uncounted, “thrown out,” and the deputy in the elected body represents only 1/3 of the voters of his district.

It should, however, be noted that the electoral laws of some countries establish a minimum number of votes that must be collected in order to win: a candidate is considered elected if he received more votes in his constituency than his competitors, but provided that more votes were cast for him. 20% of all valid votes.

In Great Britain, the practice of applying the uninominal majoritarian system of relative majority led to paradoxical situations: the absolute majority of mandates in the lower house of parliament, and, consequently, the right to form a one-party government, was received by the party that collected fewer votes overall than the losing party. Let's illustrate this with the following example:

in five electoral districts with an equal number of voters of 30 thousand, the candidates of parties A and B fought for mandates, and the votes were distributed between them as follows:

The party that wins a larger number of constituencies with at least a minimal majority of votes will receive a larger number of mandates. In our example, party A will receive 4 mandates when the total number of voters who voted for its candidates is 73 thousand, and party B will receive 1 mandate, while 77 thousand voters voted for its candidates. This means that the ruling party will be the one that enjoys the support of a minority of voters.

In France, majority parties that received less than 50% of the total vote had almost 75% of the seats in parliament.

A similar situation has existed for many years in India. The INC party in the elections to the People's Chamber over the entire period of the country's independent development (except for losses in 1977 and 1989) received an absolute majority of seats, gaining about 1/4 of the votes of the entire electoral corps.

The above allows us to conclude that the majoritarian system of relative majority is one of the least democratic electoral systems, the main defects of which are:

2) the picture of the real balance of political forces in the country is distorted: the party that receives a minority of votes receives a majority of parliamentary seats.

The potential injustice inherent in this electoral system is more clearly manifested in conjunction with special methods of dividing electoral districts, called “electoral geometry” and “electoral geography”.

Essence "selective geometry" is that it is necessary to divide the electoral districts in such a way as to, while maintaining their formal equality, ensure in advance the advantage of supporters of one of the parties in them, dispersing supporters of other parties in small numbers across different districts, and concentrating their maximum number in 1-2 districts. In other words, the party that is cutting up electoral districts will try to cut them out in such a way as to “drive” the maximum number of voters voting for the rival party into one or two districts, deliberately going to “lose” them, thereby ensuring victory for yourself in other districts. Formally, the equality of districts is not violated, but in fact the election results are predetermined. By allowing the formation of constituencies for another party, we will get the opposite result.

The legislation of a number of foreign countries (USA, France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan), like the Russian legislator, also proceeds from the fact that it is practically impossible to form absolutely equal electoral districts, and therefore establishes a maximum percentage (usually 25% or 33%) of deviation districts by number of voters from the average district in one direction or another. This is the basis for the application of “electoral geography”, referred to in the USA as “Gerryman-dering” (from the personal name of one American governor who used the division of districts in the interests of his party, and an English word translated, in particular, as “tinkering”). 5

Target "electoral geography" is to make the voice of the more conservative rural voter weigh more than the vote of the urban voter by creating more electoral districts in rural areas with fewer voters than in urban areas. As a result, with an equal number of voters living in urban and rural areas, 2-3 times more constituencies can be formed in the latter.

The majoritarian system of relative majority, which has become quite widespread in developing countries, in some of them (India, Egypt, etc.) has acquired unique forms, actually depriving citizens in certain cases of the right to choose: when the number of candidates is equal to the number of deputies elected in the constituency, they are considered elected without voting.

Perhaps the only advantage of the majority system of relative majority is that voting is carried out in one round, since the winner is determined immediately. This makes elections much cheaper.

On the basis of the majoritarian electoral system of a relative majority, in particular, half of the deputies of the State Duma of the Russian Federation are elected in single-mandate constituencies - the candidate who received the largest number of votes of voters who took part in the voting is considered elected (if the number of votes received by the candidates is equal, the candidate registered earlier is considered elected) . Another type of majoritarian electoral system is the absolute majority majoritarian system.

Majority system of absolute majority

Under this system, elections usually take place in several rounds. To be elected, a candidate must receive an absolute majority of the votes of voters who took part in the voting, i.e. 50% + 1 vote. If none of the candidates achieves this majority (and most often this is what happens), a second round is held (usually two weeks after the first), where the same requirement of an absolute majority of the popular vote is again applied. But the legislation may also establish a requirement for a relative majority for the second round.

Not all registered candidates can participate in the second round. The so-called re-balloting is carried out: only two candidates who received the largest number of votes in the first round compared to other candidates are allowed to the second round.

All French presidents in the V Republic were elected under the absolute majority majority system, and only in 1958 did Charles de Gaulle manage to collect 78.5% of the votes in the first round; all other presidential elections were held in two rounds. Elections for the President of Uzbekistan are held using this electoral system. During elections to the National Assembly of France, there was often a situation where, as a result of the actions of several political parties, candidates who were not among the first two in terms of the number of votes received entered the second round. This opportunity is provided by Art. 7 of the French Constitution, according to which only the two candidates who receive the most votes in the first round or who follow the candidates who received the most votes and withdrew their candidacies (if this is the case) may participate in the second round.

This means that if, before midnight on the Thursday following the day of the first round, one of the two candidates who took the first two places in the first round submits a written application to the Constitutional Council to withdraw his candidacy, then the candidate who took the first two places in the second round will participate together with him in the second round. took third place. This rule is used by parties that are similar in their political positions in order to prevent the candidate of the left party from winning.

Let’s assume that candidate A from the left party and candidate B from the right party win in the first round; they are the ones who are vying to advance to the second round. However, right-wing parties supporting candidate B, who took third place, can propose that the parties of candidate B unite, but with the condition that candidacy B be withdrawn. If this proposal is accepted, then left-wing candidate A and candidate B, who is supported by the united right-wing parties, will participate in the second round , which significantly increases his chances of winning.

When electing the President of Uzbekistan, a repeat vote is held no earlier than 15 days from the date of the first vote, but within one month. 6 If by the day of the re-election there is only one candidate left, then the candidacy of the second one for inclusion on the ballot papers is determined in the same way as in the French practice described above. Based on the results of the repeat voting, the candidate for the post of President of Uzbekistan who received a greater number of votes from voters who took part in the voting in relation to the number of votes cast for another candidate (in other words, according to the majority system of relative majority) is considered elected.

The majoritarian electoral system, both relative and absolute majorities, does not imply holding elections on a purely party basis. Along with candidates nominated by political parties, independent candidates are also fighting for mandates. And voters, when voting in elections, often give preference to one candidate or another not as a representative of a particular party, but as a trustworthy politician.

Majoritarian systems of single unchallenged vote and cumulative vote

Very rarely, along with the three mentioned above, two more particular varieties of the majoritarian system are used: a single non-transferable vote and a cumulative vote. At system of a single unchangeable voice, which is sometimes called semi-proportional, multi-member constituencies are created, as is always the case with a proportional system, but each voter can vote for only one candidate from a particular party list contained on the ballot. Candidates who have collected more votes than others are considered elected, i.e. The principle of a majoritarian system of relative majority operates (the number of elected persons corresponds to the number of mandates in the district). Since the election result is still determined on the majoritarian principle, this system is considered a type of majoritarian system, although with some deviations.

At cumulative vote(cumulative means cumulative;

date cumulo - add up) the voter has not one, but several votes (three, four, etc.). He can give all the votes to one candidate, or he can distribute them among different candidates of the same party (for example, give three votes out of the available four to the candidate No. 1 on the party list, and one vote to the candidate No. 4). The voter may also, if permitted by law, apply panashage(or panning; from fr. panachage - mixing, motley): to vote for candidates from different party lists, focusing not on party affiliation, but on the personal qualities of a particular candidate. Panachage is discussed in more detail below, since it is usually allowed very rarely and under a proportional electoral system. If a cumulative vote system is used, then the results are determined again according to the principle of relative majority: votes are counted for all candidates running in the district; Those who have collected more votes than other voters are considered elected (in accordance with the number of deputy seats in a given district). Therefore, this system is also a type of majority system.

Voting under the system of a single permanent vote and with a cumulative vote is based on the principle of preference: the voter chooses the candidates most suitable for him, but from list of one party. 7

The greatest opportunities for the participation of political parties in elections and their direct influence on the distribution of deputy mandates are provided by the proportional electoral system, which involves holding elections on a strictly party basis.

COMPARISON CRITERIA

... ELECTORAL SYSTEM

Dividing the country into constituencies

The country is divided into constituencies

How is the winner determined?

The candidate who receives the majority of votes is considered the winner

2.Write down the word missing in the table.

ELECTORAL SYSTEMS

TYPES OF ELECTORAL SYSTEM

SIGNS

...

One deputy is elected from each constituency who receives the majority of votes

Proportional

Seats in the representative body are distributed in accordance with the number of votes cast for the party list

3. Find a concept that is generalizing for all other concepts in the series below, and write down the number under which it is indicated.

1) elections of deputies

2) suffrage

3) lists of political parties

4) secret ballot

5) election campaign

4. Below is a list of provisions. All of them, with the exception of two, characterize the majoritarian electoral system.

1) formation of a single national electoral district

2) the candidate who receives the most votes wins

3) a second round of voting is possible to determine the winner

4) single-member constituencies are formed

6) self-nomination of candidates is possible

Find two positions that “fall out” from the general series and write down the numbers under which they are indicated in the table.

5. Find in the list below the items that characterize the distinctive features of the majoritarian electoral system, and write down the numbers under which they are indicated.

1) the state is divided into electoral districts

3) the state is a single electoral district

6) the candidate who receives the majority of votes is considered the winner

6. In country Z, the government is formed by a bloc of parties that won the parliamentary elections. Select from the list below the features that indicate that in country Z parliamentary elections are held according to a proportional system, and write down the numbers under which these features are indicated.

1) Voting is carried out according to lists of political parties.

2) There is the possibility of nominating independent non-party candidates.

3) The candidate who receives the majority of votes in the election wins.

6) The number of seats a party receives in parliament depends on the percentage of votes cast for the party in the elections.

7. Any citizen of state Z who has reached the age of majority has the right to participate in the elections of the president of the country and to be elected to government bodies. Elections are held on an alternative basis.

Find the suffrage principles of country Z in the list below and write down the numbers under which they are indicated.

1) principle of equality

2) multi-stage elections

3) the principle of universality

6) mandatory property qualification

8. In the democratic state Z, during the electoral reform, a transition was made from a majoritarian electoral system to a proportional electoral system for parliamentary elections. What changes have occurred in the electoral system of state Z? Write down the numbers under which they are indicated.

1) granting the right to vote to citizens over 18 years of age, regardless of nationality, gender, professional affiliation, level of education, income, etc.

3) creation of a single national electoral district

5) the possibility of nominating independent non-party candidates

6) the party overcomes the five percent electoral threshold (barrier)

9. Choose the correct statements about the distinctive features of the proportional electoral system and write down the numbers under which they are indicated.

1) Voluntary participation in elections.

3) The deputy who receives the majority of votes is considered the winner.

4) Distribution of mandates between parties in accordance with the number of votes cast.

5) Establishment of a barrier threshold.

10. Choose the correct statements about the proportional electoral system and write down the numbers under which they are indicated.

2) Citizens are given the right to self-nominate candidates.

3) Political parties are given the right to nominate candidates.

4) To be elected, a candidate must receive a majority of the votes of voters participating in the voting.

5) The party receives a number of mandates proportional to the number of votes cast for its candidates in the elections.

11. Choose the correct statements about the majoritarian electoral system and write down the numbers under which they are indicated.

1) The territory in which elections are held is divided into electoral districts.

2) Each of the parties participating in the elections places its candidates on the party list in order of preference.

4) The candidate who receives the majority of votes is considered elected.

5) There is a passing threshold (percentage barrier), and parties that do not overcome it do not receive seats in parliament.

12. Establish a correspondence between the types of electoral systems and specific examples illustrating them: for each position in the first column, select the corresponding position from the second column.

EXAMPLES

TYPES OF ELECTORAL SYSTEMS

A) For the elections of deputies to parliament, a single national electoral district is formed.

C) Candidates are nominated in single-member constituencies.

D) The winner in each district is determined by the majority of votes received.

D) As a rule, an electoral barrier is introduced for parties to enter parliament.

1) majority

2) proportional

A

13. Establish a correspondence between the types of electoral systems and their characteristics: for each position given in the first column, select the corresponding position from the second column.

Write down the selected numbers in the table under the corresponding letters.

CHARACTERISTIC

TYPE OF ELECTION

SYSTEMS

A) the existence of a national constituency

B) application of the absolute majority system

C) nominating candidates only from political parties

D) the possibility of holding a second round of voting

1) proportional

2) majority

Write down the numbers in your answer, arranging them in the order corresponding to the letters:

A

14. G Russian citizen D. decided to nominate herself as a candidate for the post of President of the Russian Federation. However, after reviewing her documents, the election commission refused to register her. Find possible reasons for failure in the list below.

1) citizen D. recently turned 30 years old

2) citizen D. is not a citizen of the Russian Federation by birth

3) citizen D. is an atheist

4) citizen D. has been permanently residing on the territory of the Russian Federation for 3 years

5) citizen D. does not have a higher education

15. State Z holds regular elections for its legislative assembly. Representatives of various political forces participate in them. What additional information indicates that the country has a proportional electoral system? Select the required items from the list provided and write down the numbers under which they are indicated.

1) mandates are distributed between parties in accordance with the number of votes cast

2) opposition parties, along with pro-government ones, nominate their candidates

4) during the pre-election period, inter-party coalitions are created

6) the minimum number of votes for election is established

16. 60% of citizens with the right to vote took part in the elections to the legislative body. The elections were held according to a proportional system. Find the features of this electoral system in the list below and write down the numbers under which they are indicated.

2) the mandate is received by the one who receives an absolute majority of votes

3) the deputy’s direct connection with voters is maintained

4) mandates are distributed among participants in accordance with the number of votes cast for them

5) there is a 5% barrier to entry into the legislative body

18. C1 Using your own text, provide a point of view explaining the low voter turnout. Give two arguments to explain why better-educated citizens do not exercise their right to vote in the same way as less-educated ones?

C2 Give the author’s argument proving why low voter turnout is a sign of “happiness politics”? What is the attitude of the author of the text to this point of view?

C3 Give the author's point of view on the problem of people's indifference to elections. What does the author of the text see as the main reason for non-participation in them? Using social science knowledge, give one reason for the decline in electoral activity of the population.

C4 Express and justify your position on the relevance of the problem of people’s indifference to elections in relation to the behavior of Russian voters? Based on social science knowledge, name one consequence of the passivity of some citizens and suggest one way to increase the activity of the population in elections.

Read the text and complete tasks C1-C4.

It is argued that since those who avoid voting mostly belong to the less educated and socially active segments of the population, it is even better that they do not exercise their right to vote. Since they are more easily susceptible to prejudice and demagoguery, their activation would pose a potential threat to our democratic system.

Behind such arguments is the dubious premise that better-educated, better-paid voting citizens are more rational thinkers and less susceptible to narrow egoism and racial and class prejudice. This opinion, which in itself is a soul-caressing prejudice, was formed by representatives of the upper and middle classes about themselves and for their own consolation.

Some authors argue that low voter turnout is a sign of “happiness politics”: people are indifferent to voting precisely because they are completely satisfied with the current state of affairs. Of course, there will be people who are completely indifferent to political problems, even if these problems directly affect their lives. On the whole, however, the many millions of Americans who do not vote do not belong to the most affluent, but to less affluent and more embittered sections of the population, where an unusual concentration of socially disadvantaged people is found. The “politics of happiness”, as a rule, is nothing more than a cover for the politics of disappointment. What is taken for apathy, in fact, may well be a way in which the human psyche protects itself from powerlessness and despair. Non-participation in elections is not the result of complete contentment or lack of civic virtues, but a pleasant negative reaction to the political realities that people face in their lives.

M. Parenti

19. C5 What meaning do social scientists give to the concept of “electoral system”? Using knowledge from your social studies course, write two sentences: one sentence containing information about the structural components of the electoral system, and one sentence about the types of electoral systems.

1.The right column of the table shows the characteristics of the majoritarian electoral system.

2.There are the following types of electoral systems:

−proportional

−majoritarian (this is what we are talking about)

−mixed (combining both types)

3. General term: suffrage

ELECTION LAW - 1) (in an objective sense) a system of legal norms regulating the procedure for the formation of elected bodies, i.e. the electoral system; is one of the institutions of constitutional law; 2) (in a subjective sense) the right of a citizen to elect and be elected (active suffrage and passive suffrage are distinguished, respectively); one of the basic constitutional rights of citizens, belongs to the group of political rights.

Answer:2

4. Features of a majoritarian electoral system: the formation of territorial single-mandate constituencies;

The winner is the candidate who receives the most votes;

a second round of voting is possible;

Self-nomination of candidates is possible.

The formation of a single national electoral district and voting on political party lists are signs of a proportional electoral system.

5. Majoritarian electoral system is a system for determining election results, according to which the candidate who receives the statutory majority of votes is considered elected.

The state is divided into electoral districts;

voters vote on the personality of the candidate

The winner is the one who receives the most votes.

But: the elections of the President of the Russian Federation are held according to a majoritarian system, the state in this case is a single state district. However, in general this does not characterize the majoritarian system.

Positions 3, 4 - refer to the proportional system.

6. Types of electoral systems:

1. Majoritarian.

− absolute majority - the candidate who receives 50% + 1 vote is considered elected. It is used in the elections of the President of the Russian Federation.

− relative majority - the candidate who receives a simple majority of votes is considered victorious. USA.

2. Proportional.

Each party receives a number of seats in parliament in proportion to the number of votes cast for its candidates in the elections. Elections to the State Duma 7% barrier.

According to the conditions of the task, the proportional system includes 1, 5, 6.

Answer:156.

7. The only possible correct answer is 1, 3, 5.

Answer:135.

8. The proportional electoral system is one of the types of electoral systems used in elections to representative bodies. When holding elections under the proportional system, deputy mandates are distributed between lists of candidates in proportion to the votes cast for the lists of candidates, if these candidates have overcome the percentage threshold.

The only possible correct answer is 3, 4, 6.

Answer:346.

9. 1) Voluntary participation in elections - no, that’s not true, this is true under any system.

2) Organization of voting according to party lists - yes, that's right.

3) The deputy who receives the majority of votes is considered the winner - no, that’s incorrect, this is a majority vote.

4) Distribution of mandates between parties in accordance with the number of votes cast - yes, that's right.

5) Establishing a barrier threshold - yes, that's right.

Answer:2, 4, 5.

10. 1) Voters vote according to party lists - yes, that's right.

2) Citizens are given the right to self-nominate candidates - no, that’s incorrect, this is a majoritarian system.

3) Political parties are given the right to nominate candidates - no, that’s incorrect, it’s a majoritarian party.

4) To be elected, a candidate must receive a majority of the votes of voters participating in the voting - no, that’s incorrect, this is a majority vote.

5) The party receives a number of mandates proportional to the number of votes cast for its candidates in the elections - yes, that's right.

Answer:1, 5.

11. 1) The territory in which elections are held is divided into electoral districts - yes, that's right.

2) Each of the parties participating in the elections places its candidates on the party list in order of preference - no, that’s incorrect, it’s proportional.

3) Voters vote for specific candidates - yes, that's right.

4) The candidate who receives the majority of votes is considered elected - yes, that's right.

5) There is a passing threshold (percentage barrier), and parties that do not overcome it do not receive seats in parliament - no, that’s wrong, this is proportional.

Answer:1, 3, 4.

12. The majoritarian system is a system for determining election results, according to which the candidate who receives the statutory majority of votes is considered elected.

The proportional system is a system of representation of parties and movements, based on the fact that each party receives a number of mandates in the representative body (parliament) in proportion to the number of votes cast for its candidates in the elections.

13. A) the existence of a national electoral district - proportional;

B) application of the absolute majority system - majoritarian;

C) nomination of candidates only from political parties - proportional;

D) the possibility of holding a second round of voting - majority;

14. 1 - you can run for the post of President of the Russian Federation only from the age of 35.

4 - a person running for the post of President of the Russian Federation must reside in the Russian Federation for at least 10 years.

15. Proportional system is a procedure for determining election results, in which mandates are distributed between parties that nominated their candidates to the representative body in accordance with the number of votes they received. With P. and. With. a single national electoral district is created in which each party nominates its own list of candidates, and the voter casts a vote for the list of the corresponding party. In addition, the minimum votes required to obtain one deputy mandate are established. The distribution of mandates within the party list is carried out, as a rule, in accordance with the order in which the candidates are located on the list.

Answer:1, 3, 6.

2) the mandate is received by the one who receives an absolute majority of votes - no, that’s wrong, it’s a majority vote.

3) the direct connection between the deputy and the voters is maintained - no, that’s not true, it’s a majoritarian one.

4) mandates are distributed among participants in accordance with the number of votes cast for them - yes, that’s right.

5) there is a 5% barrier to entering the legislative body - yes, that's right.

Answer:1, 4, 5.

17. The next parliamentary elections are taking place in the country of Kommersant. What signs allow us to say that country Kommersant has a majoritarian electoral system? Write down the numbers under which they are indicated.

1) The right to nominate candidates is vested in both citizens by way of self-nomination, as well as political parties and religious associations.

2) To elect a candidate, it is necessary that he receive more than half the votes from the number of voters who took part in the voting.

3) There is a national constituency.

4) Each voter has one vote in the election.

5) Voters have the right to recall members of parliament.

18. C1 1) a point of view explaining the low voter activity: less educated and socially active segments of the population do not use their right to vote;

2) two arguments:

− educated and well-paid citizens who vote think more rationally and are less susceptible to narrow egoism and racial and class prejudices,

− the less educated are more easily susceptible to prejudice and demagoguery, and their activation poses a threat to the democratic system.

C2 1) the author’s argument: people are indifferent to voting precisely because they are completely satisfied with the current state of affairs;

2) the attitude of the author of the text: many millions of Americans who do not take part in voting do not belong to the most comfortable, but to less wealthy and more embittered sections of the population, where an unusual concentration of socially disadvantaged people is found. The “politics of happiness”, as a rule, is nothing more than a cover for the politics of disappointment.

2) reason: non-participation in elections is not the result of complete contentment or lack of civic virtues, but a pleasant negative reaction to the political realities that people face in their lives;

3) own example:

− transition from a majoritarian system to a mixed one,

− administrative influence of power on voters,

− voter fatigue from elections,

− dissatisfaction with the authorities,

− protest against “dirty” (or even any) electoral technologies,

− insufficient awareness of citizens about elections and candidates,

− poorly chosen voting day (for example, coinciding with a religious holiday),

− weather conditions,

− removal of popular candidates or parties from elections

C4 Example for a positive position.

1) position: yes, the author’s judgment is also relevant for Russian voters;

2) argumentation of a positive position: in the first half of the 2000s, there was a noticeable downward trend in turnout; in the second half of the 2000s, turnout rates generally increased, but now a downward trend is again emerging, depending on different types of elections, on the level of urbanization of the regions (turnout in rural areas is higher than in cities).

argumentation of the graduate’s negative position: for Russian voters, the problem of people’s indifference to elections (absenteeism) is not relevant. Generations of middle-aged and older people raised during Soviet times consider it their civic duty to go to the polling station to vote;

3) consequence:

− evasion of voters from voting in elections (absenteeism);

− growth of opposition sentiments in society;

− growing social tension.

4) ways to increase voter activity:

− expanding (or improving) voter education;

− increasing the importance of the elected body, the candidate in the eyes of voters.

19. 1) the meaning of the concept, for example: the procedure for elections to representative institutions and elected officials, as well as determining the voting results; (Another definition similar in meaning may be given.)

2) one sentence with information about the structural components of the electoral system, for example: the electoral system includes two interrelated components: voting rights and the electoral process. (Any other sentences containing information about the structural components of the electoral system may be drawn up.)

3) one sentence about the types of electoral systems, drawn up based on knowledge of the course, for example: representative democracy has developed two main types of formation of state authorities and local self-government: majoritarian and proportional. (Any other sentences containing information about the types of electoral systems may be written.)

On the one hand, they provide an opportunity for people with political ambitions and organizational skills to be elected to government, and on the other hand, they involve the general public in political life and allow ordinary citizens to influence political decisions.

Electoral system in a broad sense, they refer to the system of social relations associated with the formation of elected authorities.

The electoral system includes two main elements:

  • theoretical (suffrage);
  • practical (electoral process).

Suffrage- this is the right of citizens to directly participate in the formation of elected institutions of government, i.e. elect and be elected. Electoral law also refers to legal norms regulating the procedure for granting citizens the right to participate in elections and the method of forming government bodies. The foundations of modern Russian electoral law are enshrined in the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

Electoral process is a set of activities for the preparation and conduct of elections. It includes, on the one hand, the election campaigns of candidates, and on the other, the work of election commissions to form an elected government body.

The following components are distinguished in the electoral process:

  • calling elections;
  • organization of electoral districts, districts, precincts;
  • formation of election commissions;
  • voter registration;
  • nomination and registration of candidates;
  • preparation of ballots and absentee ballots;
  • pre-election struggle; o voting;
  • counting votes and determining voting results.

Principles of democratic elections

In order to ensure the fairness and effectiveness of the electoral system, the election procedure must be democratic.

Democratic principles of organization and conduct of elections are as follows:

  • universality - all adult citizens have the right to participate in elections, regardless of their gender, race, nationality, religion, property status, etc.;
  • equality of citizen votes: each voter has one vote;
  • direct and secret voting;
  • availability of alternative candidates, competitiveness of elections;
  • transparency of elections;
  • truthful voter information;
  • absence of administrative, economic and political pressure;
  • equality of opportunity for political parties and candidates;
  • voluntariness of participation in elections;
  • legal response to any cases of violation of election legislation;
  • frequency and regularity of elections.

Features of the electoral system of the Russian Federation

In the Russian Federation, the existing electoral system regulates the procedure for holding elections of the head of state, deputies of the State Duma and regional authorities.

Candidate for the post President of the Russian Federation may be a Russian citizen of at least 35 years of age who has lived in Russia for at least 10 years. A candidate cannot be a person who has foreign citizenship or a residence permit, an unexpunged and unexpunged criminal record. The same person cannot hold the position of President of the Russian Federation for more than two consecutive terms. The President is elected for six years on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot. Presidential elections are held on a majoritarian basis. The president is considered elected if in the first round of voting a majority of voters who took part in the voting voted for one of the candidates. If this does not happen, a second round is scheduled in which the two candidates who received the most votes in the first round participate, and the one who received more votes than the other registered candidate wins.

A State Duma deputy can A citizen of the Russian Federation who has reached the age of 21 and has the right to participate in elections was elected. 450 deputies are elected to the State Duma from party lists on a proportional basis. In order to overcome the electoral threshold and receive mandates, a party must gain a certain percentage of the votes. The term of office of the State Duma is five years.

Citizens of Russia also participate in elections to government bodies and elective positions in subjects of the Russian Federation. According to the Constitution of the Russian Federation. the system of regional government bodies is established by the subjects of the Federation independently in accordance with the fundamentals of the constitutional system and current legislation. The law establishes special days for voting in elections to government bodies of the constituent entities of the Federation and local governments - the second Sunday of March and the second Sunday of October.

Types of electoral systems

The electoral system in the narrow sense refers to the procedure for determining the voting results, which depends primarily on the principle counting votes.

On this basis, there are three main types of electoral systems:

  • majoritarian;
  • proportional;
  • mixed.

Majoritarian electoral system

In conditions majoritarian system (from the French majorite - majority) the candidate who receives the majority of votes wins. The majority can be absolute (if a candidate received more than half the votes) or relative (if one candidate received more votes than the other). The disadvantage of a majoritarian system is that it can reduce the chances of small parties gaining representation in government.

The majoritarian system means that in order to be elected, a candidate or party must receive a majority of votes from voters in a district or the entire country, while those who collect a minority of votes do not receive mandates. Majoritarian electoral systems are divided into absolute majority systems, which are more often used in presidential elections and in which the winner must receive more than half the votes (minimum - 50% of the votes plus one vote), and relative majority systems (Great Britain, Canada, USA, France, Japan and etc.), when to win it is necessary to get ahead of other contenders. When applying the absolute majority principle, if no candidate receives more than half of the votes, a second round of elections is held, in which the two candidates who received the largest number of votes are presented (sometimes all candidates who received more than the established minimum votes in the first round are allowed into the second round ).

Proportional electoral system

Proportional The electoral system involves voting by voters according to party lists. After the elections, each party receives a number of mandates proportional to the percentage of votes received (for example, a party that receives 25% of the votes receives 1/4 of the seats). In parliamentary elections it is usually established interest barrier(electoral threshold) that a party must overcome in order to get its candidates into parliament; As a result, small parties that do not have broad social support do not receive mandates. Votes for parties that do not overcome the threshold are distributed among the winning parties in the elections. A proportional system is only possible in multi-mandate electoral districts, i.e. those where several deputies are elected and the voter votes for each of them personally.

The essence of the proportional system is the distribution of mandates in proportion to the number of votes received by electoral coalitions. The main advantage of this system is the representation of parties in elected bodies in accordance with their real popularity among voters, which makes it possible to more fully express the interests of all groups, to intensify the participation of citizens in elections and in general. In order to overcome excessive party fragmentation of the parliament and limit the possibility of representatives of radical or even extremist forces entering it, many countries use barriers or thresholds that establish the minimum number of votes required to obtain parliamentary mandates. It usually ranges from 2 (Denmark) to 5% (Germany) of all votes cast. Parties that do not collect the required minimum votes do not receive a single mandate.

Comparative analysis of proportional and electoral systems

Majoritarian an electoral system in which the candidate with the most votes wins favors the formation of bipartisanship or a “bloc” party system, while proportional, in which parties with the support of only 2-3% of voters can get their candidates into parliament, perpetuates the fragmentation of political forces and the preservation of many small parties, including extremist ones.

Bipartisanism assumes the presence of two large political parties, approximately equal in influence, which alternately replace each other in power by winning a majority of seats in parliament, elected by direct universal suffrage.

Mixed electoral system

Currently, many countries use mixed systems that combine elements of majoritarian and proportional electoral systems. Thus, in Germany, one half of the Bundestag deputies are elected according to the majority system of relative majority, the second - according to the proportional system. A similar system was used in Russia in the elections to the State Duma in 1993 and 1995.

Mixed the system involves a combination of majority and proportional systems; for example, one part of the parliament is elected by a majoritarian system, and the second by a proportional system; in this case, the voter receives two ballots and casts one vote for the party list, and the second for a specific candidate elected on a majoritarian basis.

In recent decades, some organizations (green parties, etc.) have used consensus election system. It has a positive orientation, that is, it is focused not on criticizing the enemy, but on finding the most acceptable candidate or electoral platform for everyone. In practice, this is expressed in the fact that the voter votes not for one, but for all (necessarily more than two) candidates and ranks their list in order of his own preferences. First place is awarded five points, second place is given four points, third place is given three points, fourth place is given two points, and fifth place is given one point. After voting, the points received are summed up and the winner is determined based on their number.

An electoral system is based on the majority principle, when the candidate who receives the largest number of votes is considered elected.

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MAJORITY ELECTORAL SYSTEM

fr. majoritaire from majorite - majority) is a procedure for determining the voting results, in which the candidate who receives the majority of votes is considered elected. The majoritarian system has two varieties - absolute majority and relative majority. Under the absolute majority majority system, the candidate who receives an absolute majority of the votes of voters who took part in the voting (more than 50%) is considered elected. If none of the candidates in the first round received an absolute majority, then the two candidates who received the majority of votes in the first round participate in the second. This is a relative majority system in which a candidate needs to win more votes than other candidates. In the second round, both types of majoritarian systems can operate, but the relative majority system prevails.

The majority system seems simple, understandable, widespread, and used in many countries around the world. It allows for the creation of stable governments based on a strong majority in parliament. However, it is not without its drawbacks. It operates under the “winner takes all” principle, that is, one mandate in one district. Under this system, election results reflect only those votes cast for the winners, and the remaining votes are not counted. The winner can receive 30% of the votes from the number of registered voters, and the remaining 5 candidates 50% with 20% of voters not showing up for the elections. Thus, the will of 70% of the district's voters remains unaccounted for.

The majoritarian system can also provide indirect national representation, in which if a communist wins in one district and a liberal in another, then supporters of communist ideas from the second district have the winner from the first district as a representative of their interests, that is, the unity of the ideological field of the candidate and his electorate.

The obvious disadvantages of the majoritarian system include the fact that not all social strata of society can be represented in elected bodies, since their candidates did not receive a majority of votes, i.e. the minority finds itself outside the government, and it can be significant. In other words, this system often does not reflect the balance of socio-political forces in the country. It is expensive because often a second round of voting has to be held because the first round did not reveal a winner.

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