The Need for Proportional Representation – A Diatribe on the Necessity of Political Reform

Proportional representation is a voting procedure for electing representatives in multi-seat elections. Today in America, each district usually elects a single representative for their respective legislature. The problem this creates, is that the person elected is only representative of the majority, 50.1%. Whoever voted for the opposition candidate(s) has, for all intensive purposes, “wasted” their vote.

Proportional representation remedies this problem by creating multi-member districts, and then the votes are distributed proportionally (hence the name). This means that, if there are ten seats open, and Party A receives 60% of the vote, they will win six seats. And if Parties B and C receive 20% each, they both receive two seats apiece. This result is obviously more democratic and representative of the voting public – under a plurality voting system, Party A would have won all of the power in this district.

The benefits to proportional representation are obvious. It gives a voice to minority opinions, which in turn creates dialogue, debate, understanding and compromise. It re-enfranchises those who believe that their vote doesn’t matter. It reduces the effects of political gerrymandering – in which a specific party re-districts the district in order to create the results they want (a common practice throughout the US which effectively disenfranchises those who hold views which aren’t involved with the politicized redistricting process). And one of the most obvious and qualitative changes that implementing a system of proportional representation would have, would be to encourage the creation of viable third parties. This in turn would tie in with my first two points. Those currently alienated by the two-party system, would have alternatives, as third parties would be able to win seats in legislative bodies. As a result of all of this, voter turnout would likely increase significantly. (1)

Thus, the benefits of proportional representation are immense, and would solve many of the ills currently plaguing the sickly American voting system.

Drawbacks to proportional representation rear up depending on your point of view, however. If you are a part of the bourgeois of either dominate political party, you would frown upon the implementation of proportional representation. It would certainly erode some of the (faux-) support that the two parties currently enjoy. Similar to the great steel baron, or communications giant – you would not be overjoyed when your tyrannical monopoly is broken up. They justify their views by saying that the American sheep – or “voting populace” – would become “too confused” when confronted with a new system of voting. Or that, having a real choice, with distinctions between political parties, would destabilize the American government. (1)

One needs only to point to the bulk of the rest of the democratic world, to combat these weak arguments. I have faith that Americans are not so ignorant that they could not adapt.

When we concern ourselves with the people, and the good of the country, the choice becomes clear. Switching to a proportional system of voting for legislative bodies would only be a boon for the American democratic system. The United States as a whole should follow the lead of forward-thinking European countries, as well as local townships and municipalities throughout the US itself. It would result in the reinvigoration of the political process, the re-invention of political parties, the re-enfranchisement of the people. It would be a major step toward a truly bright, democratic future. (2)

1) http://www.fairvote.org/pr/amy_intro.htm
2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proportional_representation

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