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In order to know which electoral system is the best and why we must first ask the question: what exactly is an electoral system? Electoral systems are the means for translating votes into seats. They define both the method of voting and the method of counting. They shape the boundaries of acceptable political discourse. Electoral systems are highly important because they affect the legislature, they can be designed to receive a particular outcome, they are the defining moment in any democracy and they structure the arena of competition. Therefore, it is crucial to the proper functioning of a democracy that the electoral system should result in the election of genuinely representative candidates.
There are many types of electoral systems in place across Europe but they can be divided into three main groups: Majoritarian systems, proportional representation and mixed systems.
Majoritarian electoral systems are based on the concept of “winner takes all” principle. Those who have received the most votes in an election are the candidates who win and are therefore elected. Its main concern is with the creation of an effective government. Majoritarian electoral systems can be divided into three categories:
(a)Single member plurality system:
With this system, in order to win a candidate need only receive one more vote than any other candidate. Electoral systems of this kind are used in countries such as Canada, the United States and New Zealand.
(b)Multi-member plurality systems:
In this system, more than one member per electoral district can be sent to the assembly. Again the candidate who receives the most votes is deemed elected.
(c)Single-member majoritarian systems:
This ensures that the winning candidate has an absolute majority of the votes in his/her district. There is two...