From Majority Rule to Inclusive Politics
This book discusses voting procedures in collective decision-making. Drawing on well-established election processes from all over the world, the author presents a voting procedure that allows for the speedy but fair election of a proportional, all-party c
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From Majority Rule to Inclusive Politics Electing a Power-Sharing Coalition
From Majority Rule to Inclusive Politics
ThiS is a FM Blank Page
Peter Emerson
From Majority Rule to Inclusive Politics Electing a Power-Sharing Coalition
Peter Emerson The de Borda Institute Belfast, Northern Ireland
ISBN 978-3-319-23499-1 ISBN 978-3-319-23500-4 DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-23500-4
(eBook)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015957814 Springer Cham Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Printed on acid-free paper Springer International Publishing AG Switzerland is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com)
To all those in conflict zones, who have suffered as a result of political situations being exacerbated by the use of inappropriate voting procedures, either in elections and/or in decision-making in parliaments and referendums.
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Foreword
Ever since Gladstone’s Government of Ireland Bill of 1886, thinking politicians have known that first-past-the-post was a terrible electoral system for Ireland, as it could be an instrument for majority tyranny over minorities. A hundred years before Gladstone, James Madison had warned fellow citizens of the fledgling USA to avoid the tyranny of the majority. This hard lesson often has to be re-learned in societies divided by ethnicity or religion. Central Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia provide numerous examples. No electoral system is perfect, nor can it be. But Peter Emerson’s work on matrix voting, fully explained in this book, offers one way forward, where democracy may thrive even when the winner does not take all. Oxford April 14, 2015
Iain McLean
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Preface
P.1
War and Peace
‘The confidence of the House’ is the basis of Westminster democracy. Those who rule must first gain the support of a majority of the elected members. So it’s all yes-or-no, fo
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