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! 💪

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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 Concept

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:

More competition, fairness, and transparency in elections 🥛⚖️
Universal suffrage for adults ☑️💬
Increased participation in policy-making 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️
Proportional representation 🗺️ can lead to more parties, more women and minority candidates.
Single-member districts tend to create two-party systems and provide strong constituency service.

Memory Aid

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 districts, first-past-the-post AND proportional representation for the lower house. Upper house: 3 seat constituencies + proportional. Gender quotas in party lists. Voters 18+	Democratizing, encourages multiple parties, strong constituency services, gender quotas boost female participation.
Nigeria	Directly elected under single-member districts, first-past-the-post for the lower house. Upper house: 3 seat constituencies per state. Voters 18+	Democratizing, encourages multiple parties, strong constituency services.
Russia	Half directly elected from single-member districts, half proportional representation with a threshold. Voters 18+	Hybrid regime, questions about free and fair elections, limited power for minor parties.
China	Indirect elections through local and regional levels.	Authoritarian, one-party system, limited citizen say in policy.
Iran	Directly elected in single-member and multi-member districts, candidates vetted by Guardian Council. Voters 18+	Authoritarian, theocracy controls who runs, limited party structures, reserved seats for religious minorities.

Quick Fact

Quick Fact: Even authoritarian regimes may use elements of democratization in their electoral rules, but often with limitations.

# Ballot Access and Competition 👁️‍🗨️

Iran: Guardian Council approves candidates, severely restricting ballot access.
Mexico & Nigeria: Independent election commissions to reduce fraud and enhance competition. 💰
Russia: Lacks independent mechanisms, leading to concerns about voter fraud. 🗳️

Common Mistake

Common Mistake: Don't assume all countries have free and fair elections, even if they have direct elections.

#Appointment Systems 🤝

Some regimes use appointments to promote diversity or control the political agenda:

UK: House of Lords appointments by the monarch (with PM recommendations) to promote diversity. 🇬🇧
Iran: Guardian Council members selected by Supreme Leader and judiciary to maintain sharia law. 🇮🇷
Russia: Federation Council appointments by regional governors and legislatures, reinforcing federal power under the president. 🇷🇺

# Presidential Elections 👑

Mexico: Plurality of the national popular vote. (Most votes wins) 🇲🇽
Nigeria: Most votes + at least 25% of the vote in 2/3 of states. 🇳🇬
Russia: Absolute majority (50%+) in the first or second round. 🇷🇺
Iran: Absolute majority (50%+) in the first or second round. 🇮🇷

Exam Tip

Exam Tip: Remember the difference between plurality (most votes) and majority (more than half of the votes).

Memory Aid

Memory Aid: Think of a race: Plurality is like finishing first, even if you don't win by a lot. Majority is like winning more than half the race.

#Other Key Concepts 👀

Representation: Election rule changes impact religious, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. (e.g., Iran's reserved seats for religious minorities).
Term Limits: Vary across countries and can affect representation and flexibility. 🗓

# Highlighting Differences in Term Limits

Country	Executive Term Limits	Legislative Term Limits
UK	N/A	5 years (can be changed by no-confidence vote)
Mexico	1-6 Year Term (No re-election)	Senate-6 Year Term (after 2018 can run for a consecutive 2nd term); Chamber of Deputies-3 Year Term (after 2018 can run for a consecutive 2nd term)
Nigeria	President. 4 Year Term (2 Term Limit)	Senate-4 Year Term (Unlimited Terms); House of Representatives-4 Year Term
Russia	President. 6 Year Term (2 Consecutive Term Limit)	Federal Assembly- 4 Year Term (can be replaced because of changes in governorship); Duma-5 Year Term
China	President- 5 Year Term (No term limit)	5 Year Term
Iran	Supreme Leader-No set term limit; President- 4 Year Term Limit (2 Term Limit)	Majles- 4 Year Term

Key Concept

Key Point: Term limits are a sign of a consolidated democracy, promoting flexibility, greater representation, and diversity.

#Final Exam Focus 🎯

Highest Priority Topics: Electoral systems (PR vs. FPTP), regime objectives, ballot access, presidential elections, and term limits.
Common Question Types: Describe the electoral systems of different countries, compare and contrast the impact of electoral rules, analyze the relationship between democratization and election systems.

Exam Tip

Exam Tip: When answering FRQs, use specific examples from the course countries to support your claims.

#Last-Minute Tips ⏰

Time Management: Don't get bogged down on one question. Move on and come back if you have time.
Common Pitfalls: Don't confuse plurality and majority, remember to use specific country examples, and be clear about the differences between authoritarian and democratic regimes.

# Practice Questions 📝

Practice Question

Multiple Choice Questions

Which of the following electoral systems is most likely to produce a two-party system? (A) Proportional representation (B) Single-member district plurality (C) Multi-member district plurality (D) Mixed-member proportional
Which of the following best describes the role of the Guardian Council in Iran's elections? (A) To ensure fair and transparent elections (B) To approve candidates for office (C) To oversee the counting of votes (D) To promote political diversity

Short Answer Question

Briefly explain how the electoral system in Mexico attempts to balance both proportional representation and constituency accountability.

Free Response Question

Analyze how the electoral systems in two of the following countries—Nigeria, Russia, and Iran—reflect the regime's objectives. In your response, be sure to:

Define the terms proportional representation and single-member district plurality.
Describe the electoral system in each of the two countries you have chosen.
Explain how the electoral system in each country supports the regime's objectives.

FRQ Scoring Breakdown

Definition of Proportional Representation (1 point): A system where parties gain seats in proportion to the votes cast for them.
Definition of Single-Member District Plurality (1 point): A system where the candidate with the most votes in a district wins.
Description of Electoral System in Country 1 (1 point): Accurate description of the electoral system in the chosen country.
Description of Electoral System in Country 2 (1 point): Accurate description of the electoral system in the chosen country.
Explanation of How Electoral System Supports Regime Objectives in Country 1 (1 point): Clear explanation of how the electoral system aligns with the regime's goals.
Explanation of How Electoral System Supports Regime Objectives in Country 2 (1 point): Clear explanation of how the electoral system aligns with the regime's goals.

Alright, you've got this! Go get 'em! 🎉