Is Proportional Representation More Democratic Than The First Past The Post Electoral System?
Countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and parts of Europe use some form of first past the post (or simply majority) voting. This means that voters may elect MPs or representatives, depending on the riding or district where they live. The local candidate who garners a simple majority of votes wins the election and can sit in parliament, or the national legislature. In contrast to this, proportional representation means that voters may choose from among several party lists and the proportion of votes cast for each party are then translated into a specific number of seats in parliament for each formation. Some have argued that proportional representation is more democratic because it allows for a wider array of small parties to make it into parliament. Nevertheless, the problem is that while this is true, having more parties in the legislatures makes forming a stable, majority government much harder. Most countries that use this electoral system are governed by c
