Learning Phase, Week 4

Lower down this page is the agenda for the fourth weekend of the Assembly members' Learning Phase sessions, February 21-22.  

The handouts and learning materials given to Assembly members that weekend are available online as follows:

Session 1: Proportional Representation (PR-List) Systems

Session 2: Proportional Representation by the Single Transferable Vote (PR-STV)

Session 3: Mixed Systems

ELECTORAL SYSTEMS, Part 2

AGENDA

Saturday February 21 

Morning: Proportional Representation

- The idea of proportionality
- Party lists as the fundamental unit
- Quotas and Thresholds
- Lists: open and closed, national and regional

Evaluation of PR systems in terms of our criteria
- System: Party system fragmentation, coalition politics, party
     discipline, minority representation
- Voter: Variable choice, blurred accountability, higher TO

PR in BC – how would it work?

Discussion Groups

* Examine a number of PR ballots
* Illustrate how party votes are transformed into seats
* Coalition vs. adversarial politics
* Is PR more representative?
* Questions and discussion of presentation
 
Afternoon: Single Transferable Vote

- Constituency politics and proportional results
- Multi-member districts and intra-party competition
- Personal accountability

Evaluation of STV systems in terms of our criteria
- System: Party system fragmentation, adversarial politics, local
     accountability
- Voter: Maximum choice and voter-centred election

STV in BC – how would it work?

Discussion Groups

* Irish electoral ballot – just how are they counted
* Intra-party vs. inter-party competition
* Could multi-member districts work in rural BC
* questions and discussion of presentation

Sunday February 22 

Morning: Mixed systems

- The best of both worlds?
- Voting for party and candidates (thresholds)
- Two kinds of elected politicians, two (or more) kinds of parties
- Mixing across space?
Evaluation of Mixed systems in terms of our criteria
- System: Party system fragmentation, coalition politics
- Voter: Increased choices and strategic voting

A mixed system for BC – what might it look like?

Discussion Groups

* German ballot example
* One or two votes
* Majority or plurality districts
* Corrective or combination party seats
* Different systems in different areas of BC?
* Can two kinds of parliamentarians co-exist?
* questions and discussion of presentation