Objectives of Election Rules 📰
Lily Lee
7 min read
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Study Guide Overview
This study guide covers electoral systems and their impact on regimes, focusing on proportional representation (PR) and first-past-the-post (FPTP) systems. It examines how electoral rules affect democratization, regime objectives, ballot access, and presidential elections in six course countries: UK, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, China, and Iran. Key concepts include single-member districts, multi-member districts, term limits, and the roles of appointed bodies like the Guardian Council. The guide also provides practice questions and exam tips.
#AP Comparative Government: Election Systems & Rules - Night Before Cram! 🚀
Hey! Let's get you feeling confident for tomorrow's exam. This guide is designed to be your quick, high-impact review. We're focusing on the essentials, making sure you're ready to nail it! 💪
#Unit 4: Electoral Systems and Their Impact
# Objectives of Election Rules 🎯
This unit is all about understanding how election rules are designed to achieve specific goals, whether it's promoting democracy or maintaining authoritarian control. Let's break it down:
- Proportional Representation (PR): Parties get seats based on their vote share. Think of it like a pie 🥧, where each party gets a slice proportional to their support.
- First-Past-the-Post (FPTP): The candidate with the most votes in a district wins. It's like a race 🏃, where the first one across the finish line takes all.
- Single-Member Districts: One representative per district. Imagine one voice 🗣️ for each area.
- Multi-Member Districts: Multiple representatives per district. Think of a team 🧑🤝🧑 representing an area.
Key Point: Electoral systems directly impact the number of parties in a legislature, minority representation, and the level of constituency accountability.
#Democratization and Electoral Systems 🗳️
Democratization aims for:
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More competition, fairness, and transparency in elections 🥛⚖️
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Universal suffrage for adults ☑️💬
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Increased participation in policy-making 🙋♀️🙋♂️
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Proportional representation 🗺️ can lead to more parties, more women and minority candidates.
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Single-member districts tend to create two-party systems and provide strong constituency service.
Memory Aid: PR = More Parties, FPTP = Two Parties (Think "P" for Plurality and "Two" for Two-party System).
# Regime Objectives with Electoral Rules
Let's see how our course countries use electoral rules:
| Country | Electoral System/Rules | Regime Objectives |
|---|---|---|
| UK | Directly elected under single member district, first-past-the-post rules. Voters 18 years old (16 in Scottish/Welsh local elections) | Established democracy, universal suffrage, strong constituency services. |
| Mexico | Directly elected under single-member di... |
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