[EM] IRV vs. Plurality

[Dgamble997 at aol.com]

Bart Ingles wrote in part:

>> 12 out of 76 members of the Australian Senate belong to parties other
>> than National, Liberal or Labour.

>That's my point-- PR in the Senate should, if anything, lend strength to
>3rd party candidates in the House. If IRV was conducive to electing
>third-party and independent candidates, it would have been evident by
>now.

You cannot judge an electoral system by its performance in one country. Many 
factors effect the political culture/party system of a country the electoral 
system being just one of them- albeit an important one. For example both Eire 
and Malta have used STV as their electoral system for many decades- in Ireland 
a multi-party system has developed, in Malta a two party system- even though a 
minor party needs just 1/6 of the vote in one constituency to secure 
representation. 

France today ( 5th Republic) has essentially the same electoral system ( 2nd 
ballot- very similar to top two run-off) as the 3rd Republic ( 1870- 1940) had 
for most of its existence. The Third Republic was governed ( or failed to be 
governed) by shifting and unstable coalitions of the centre whereas Fifth 
Republican France has two multi-party blocks one on the left and one on the right 
who since 1981 have alternated in government. The electoral systems of the 
Third and Fifth Republics are essentially the same other factors have altered the 
political culture/party system.


David Gamble


Bart
    
    

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