Elections

Elections are the process by which people are voted in and out of positions of power. In representative democracies, elections determine who is able to exercise power and who is not and in this way grant politicians and parties power to enact their policies. Elections give power to ordinary citizens who may have few other ways to voice their preferences in the political world. For many, elections are the only means by which they participate in politics. Elections commonly receive widespread coverage in the media and concentrate the public's attention on political matters. They are meant as a peaceful way in which the people can have their voices heard and usually involve a coordinated and peaceful transition of power. In this way, elections bring order and stability to the political world.

The outcome of elections depends on the nature of the political system, which determines how political power is configured. Elections can vary from “first-past-the-post” (FPTP) elections where a party is often able to govern with a majority in the legislature to proportional representation (PR) elections where parties form government coalitions that share power and work together. For example, in FPTP parliamentary systems such as Australia, a party can have a majority in the lower and upper houses, giving the governing party effective control over what legislation is passed. Conversely, PR systems (which operate, for example, in many European countries) often involve coalitions and a great deal of negotiation between parties, thus spreading power across the parties. There are also parliamentary and presidential elections, which have very different outcomes and consequences for political power.

There are other variations in how elections are conducted in various countries. In some countries, elections are held on fixed dates, whereas in other countries they can be held (often within certain time periods) at the discretion of the party in power. The way in which electoral districts are laid out can dramatically affect the outcome of election. Gerrymandering is a process by which a ruling group can bias electoral districts in its own favor.

Electoral proportionality is also important. In some countries, parties can win an election without securing the majority of the vote. Electoral systems can therefore produce disproportional outcomes. For example, in the 1992 British general election, the Liberal Democrats won 17.9% of the vote but only 3.1% of seats in the House of Commons.

Elections are now a common feature of contemporary society. The number of electoral democracies greatly expanded throughout the 20th century. According to Freedom House in 2009, there are 121 electoral democracies in the world. It remains to be seen whether the number of electoral democracies will contract or expand over time. Freedom House has expressed concerns that a “democratic recession” is setting in.

The 19th century saw the development and extension of the party system around which elections continue to be based today. Whereas before elections involved parties representing capital or labor, in recent elections a much larger array of parties represents a much larger array of interests. The spectrum of parties has broadened considerably in the last few decades. Parties such as green or disarmament parties have come to represent the new issues and interests of the public.

...