Today, the most basic mechanism that ensures the democratic legitimacy of decision-making processes is the general elections by which the members of the parliament are determined. The procedures and methods for converting the votes used in elections into representation are expressed as the electoral system.
In this book, the subject of the electoral system was discussed in general and the theoretical framework of various electoral systems is presented with an easy to understand systematic. In order to keep the subject simple only the parliamentary elections were analyzed. Moreover in bicameral parliaments only the election system for the lower wing of the parliament was explored.
In the study, electoral systems are discussed under four main headings: Plurality/Majority Systems, Proportional Representation Systems, Mixed Systems, and Other Systems. Plurality/Majority Systems are subdivided into five systems: First Past the Post, Block Vote, Party Block Vote, The Alternative Vote, and the Two-Round System. Proportional Representation Systems are subdivided into List Proportional Representation and the Single Transferable Vote. Mixed Systems are Mixed Member Proportional and Parallel Systems. Finally, The Single Non-Transferable Vote, The Limited Vote and Borda Count are grouped as the Other Systems.
In order to better explain the theoretical framework, the advantages and disadvantages of the systems are detailed with many country examples. Apart from that, in the sections where commonly used election systems are explained, sample country studies are analyzed. In this manner, the electoral systems in the USA, Germany, France, England, Spain, Sweden, Italy, and Japan are discussed in detail.