Real choices new voices: how proportional representation elections could revitalize American democracy

346 Pages·2002·0.91 MB·English

by  Douglas J. Amy

Real Choices/New Voices
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Real Choices/New Voices
How Proportional Representation Elections
Could Revitalize American Democracy
Second Edition
Douglas J. Amy
c o l u m b i a u n i v e r s i t y p r e s s n e w y o r k
columbia university press
Publishers Since 1893
New York Chichester, West Sussex
Copyright © 2002 Columbia University Press
All rights Reserved
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Amy, Douglas J.
Real choices/new voices : how proportional representation elections could
revitalize American democracy / Douglas J. Amy.—2nd ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0–231-12548-8 (cl. : alk. paper) ISBN 0–231-12549-6 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Proportional representation—United States. 2. Elections—United
States. 3. United States—Politics and government—20th century. I. Title
JF1075.U6 A49 2002
328.73(cid:1)07347—dc21 2002067425
I
Columbia University Press books are printed on
permanent and durable acid-free paper.
Printed in the United States of America
c 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
p 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
All the citations to information derived from the World Wide Web were accurate at
the time of writing. Neither the author nor Columbia University Press is responsible
for Web sites that have changed or expired since the time of publication.
To my son, Sam, who brings me much joy
and keeps me honest.
Now if you think that proportional representation is boring,you
are a very silly person because it’s about how we can run the country better.
John Cleese
Monty Python’s Flying Circus
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Contents
List of Tables and Illustrations ix
Preface to Second Edition xi
Introduction 1
1. Fair Representation for All 25
2. Solving the Redistricting Problem 52
3. Improving Election Campaigns 68
4. Toward a Multiparty System 88
5. Electing More Women 109
6. Fair Representation for Racial and Ethnic Minorities 125
7. Encouraging Voter Turnout 151
8. PR: A Different and Better Kind of Democracy 167
9. Objections to Proportional Representation 186
viii Contents
10. Versions of Electoral Reform for the United States 215
11. The Political Prospects for PR in the United States 235
Appendixes
A. Seat Allocation Formulas in Proportional Representation 259
B. Vote Counting and Ballot Transfer in the Single Transferable
Vote 263
C. The Forgotten History of Proportional Representation in the
United States 267
Notes 275
Selected Bibliography 299
Additional Resources on the World Wide Web 305
Index 307
List of Tables and Illustrations
Tables
I.1 Voting Results and Seats Allocations in Mixed-Member Voting 22
1.1 Vote/Seat Disproportionality in National Legislatures in
15 Countries 34
1.2 Vote/Seat Outcomes for Parties in Different Electoral Systems 35
1.3 Comparison of Republican Votes and Republican Seats in U.S.
House Elections, 1996–2000 39
1.4 The Capriciousness of Seat Allocation under Plurality Rules 49
5.1 The Representation of Women in 13 Western Democracies 115
6.1 Percentage of Black Elected Officials by State (1997) 127
7.1 Average Voter Turnout in the 1990s 152
8.1 Competing Visions of Democratic Politics: Majoritarian vs.
Proportional 182
10.1 Proportional Results in a Cumulative Vote Election 222
10.2 Disproportional Results in a Cumulative Vote Election 223
10.3 Minority Rule in a Cumulative Vote Election 224
10.4 Relationship of Number of Legislative Parties to District Magnitude
in PR 232
A.1 Seat Allocation Using Largest Remainder Method 260