Elections are the election of officials by the people. This procedure is the most important form of civic participation in the political and public life of the country. Today in most countries of the world there are certain elections, thanks to which legitimate power is formed and changes.
Concept of election
Suffrage is a key subspecies of constitutional rights enshrined in the main law - the Constitution. Without it, it is impossible to imagine a free civil society. Voting is the exercise of the active suffrage of the country's inhabitants (the right to delegate power to officials).
At its core, the concept of elections is inextricably linked with the concepts of the electoral system and suffrage. In each country, regular ballots are held in accordance with established law.
Electoral legislation of the Russian Federation
In modern Russia, the deputies of the general and local parliaments, the president, mayors of cities and heads of constituent entities of the Federation are elected. There are several sources of the country's suffrage. These are normative acts (laws) that govern the voting procedure.
The concept of elections and their place in the life of the country are determined by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the charters of regions, territories, cities, as well as the constitutions of the republics that are members of the Federation. This legislation throughout the entire period of the modern history of the Russian Federation remains the basis of its electoral system.
There are also specialized regulations. First of all, this is a federal law adopted in 2002. Its key purpose is to guarantee the citizens of the Russian Federation the preservation of their voting rights. This federal law describes voting procedures, as well as the principles for campaigning. Over the years of its existence, the document has undergone several revisions and revisions. Nevertheless, despite all the modifications, its main essence has remained the same.
Changes in the electoral law are cyclical in nature. It is being edited in response to changing political conditions. For example, in 2004, the election of governors was canceled, and a few years later they were returned. Single edits may be made by special orders and decrees of the President of the Russian Federation. Some details of the electoral law are the responsibility of the Central Election Commission and the State Duma. Therefore, the elections also depend on their decisions and decisions.
Direct and indirect elections
Most states have adopted direct and democratic elections. This means that officials are directly determined by the citizen. For voting, polling stations work. A resident of the country records his choice in the newsletter. The will of the people is determined by the amount of these securities.
In addition to direct, there are also indirect alternatives opposite to them. The most famous example of such a system is the United States. In the case of indirect elections, the voter delegates his authority to the electors (and they later broadcast the will of their voters and end the election). This is a rather complex and confusing system, adopted in different countries largely due to its commitment to traditions. For example, in the US, the country's president is not elected by citizens, but by the Electoral College. In the same way, the upper house of the Indian parliament is formed in two stages.
Alternative and non-alternative elections
Two election systems (alternative and non-alternative) determine the nature of the entire electoral system, regardless of its other features. What is their essence and difference? Alternative suggests that a person has a choice between several candidates. At the same time, citizens give preference to diametrically opposed programs and political ideas.
Non-alternative elections are reduced to a single party (or surname) in the ballot. Today, such a system has almost disappeared from widespread practice. Nevertheless, non-alternative elections remain in countries with a one-party system, where power can be authoritarian or totalitarian.
Majority electoral system
In the world today there are a variety of types of elections. Although each country has its own unique practice, several key trends can be identified. For example, one of the most common electoral systems is majority. In such elections, the country's territory is divided into constituencies, and each of them has its own vote (with unique lists of candidates).
A particularly majority system is effective in electing a parliament. Thanks to her, deputies who represent the interests of all regions of the country without exception get into the representative body . As a rule, the candidate is running for the district, the native of which he himself is. Once in parliament, such deputies will have a clear idea of the interests of the people who voted for them. That is how a representative function is performed in the best possible way. It is important to comply with the principle that in reality it is not the deputy who votes in the parliament, but the citizens who elect him and delegate his authority.
Types of majority system
The majority system is divided into three subspecies. The first is the principle of an absolute majority. In this case, in order to win, the candidate must collect more than half the votes. If the first time such a candidate cannot be determined, then additional elections are called. They are attended by two people, in whose assets the largest number of votes. Such a system is most often characteristic of municipal elections.
The second principle concerns the relative majority. According to him, any mathematical advantage over opponents is enough for a candidate to win, even if this figure does not exceed the 50% threshold. Much less common is the third principle regarding the qualified majority. In this case, the specific number of votes necessary for victory is established.
Proportional electoral system
Common types of elections are based on party representation. According to this principle, a proportional electoral system operates. It forms elected bodies of power through party lists. When elected in a constituency, a candidate can also represent the interests of a political organization (for example, communists or liberals), however, he first of all offers his own program to citizens.
In the case of party lists and a proportional system, the situation is different. Such an election vote focuses on political movements and organizations, and not on the individual politician. On the eve of the election, parties draw up their lists of candidates. Then, after voting, each movement in the parliament receives a number of seats proportional to the votes cast. Candidates on the lists fall on the representative body. At the same time, preference is given to the first issues: politicians widely known in the country, public figures, popular speakers, etc. The main types of elections can be described in another way. Majority - individual, proportional - collective.
Open and closed party lists
The proportional system (like the majority) has its own varieties. Two main subspecies include voting on open party lists (Brazil, Finland, the Netherlands). Such direct elections are an opportunity for the voter not only to choose a party list, but also to support a particular party member (in some countries, you can support two or more). This is how the candidates' preference rating develops. In such a system, a party cannot single-handedly decide what composition it will nominate in parliament.
Closed lists are used in Russia, Israel, the European Union and South Africa. In this case, a citizen has the right to vote only for the party he likes. The specific people who fall into parliament are determined by the political organization itself. The voter first of all votes for the general program.
Pros and cons of the proportional system
All types of elections have their advantages and disadvantages. The proportional system is positively different in that the votes of citizens do not disappear just like that. They go to the general piggy bank of the party and influence the political agenda. There is an important circumstance in this rule. Each country has a specific threshold. Parties that do not pass this mark do not get into parliament. Therefore, the most fair in this case are the elections in Israel, where the minimum threshold is only 1% (in Russia 5%).
The disadvantage of a proportional system is a partial distortion of the principle of democracy. Listed voters inevitably lose touch with their constituents. If the party determines the candidates, they do not need to prove to people their own competence. Many experts criticize closed lists for exposure to all kinds of political technologies. For example, there is a “steam locomotive principle”. Using it, parties put ahead of their closed lists of recognizable people (movie, pop and sports stars). After the election, these “locomotives” abandon their mandates in favor of little-known party functionaries. History knows many cases where the closeness of parties led to dictatorship within the organization and the dominance of bureaucracy.
Mixed choices
The electoral system can combine two basic principles (majority and proportional). With this configuration, it will be considered mixed. In Russia, when electing a parliament today, these are the direct direct general elections. Half of the deputies are determined by lists, the other half by single-member districts. The mixed electoral system will be applied in the State Duma elections on September 18, 2016 (before that it was used in the State Duma elections until 2003 inclusive). In 2007 and 2011, the proportional principle with closed party lists was in effect.
Other formats of the electoral system are also called mixed systems. For example, in Australia, one house of parliament is elected by party lists, and the other by single-member constituencies. There is also a mixed coupled system. According to its rules, seats in parliament are distributed according to a single-mandate majority principle, but voting is held on lists.
Advantages and disadvantages of the mixed principle
Any mixed system is flexible and democratic. It is constantly changing and offers the country several ways to form the composition of representative bodies. In this case, polling stations can become the site of several elections held on different principles. For example, in Russia, voting at the municipal level of cities is increasingly being held in this format.
Mixed direct elections are an important factor in crushing the political system. Therefore, experts consider it a serious test for countries with a young failed democracy. Fragmented political organizations are forced to form coalitions. The party majority in parliament in this case is practically unattainable. On the one hand, this interferes with decision-making, on the other hand, such a picture is a clear example of the versatility of a society in which there are many groups with different interests. A mixed electoral system and a large number of small parties were characteristic of Russia and Ukraine in the 1990s.