Jonathan Hopkin
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- February 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199257560
- eISBN:
- 9780191603280
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199257566.003.0018
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
Spain has a PR system that has not been particularly proportional. The main reason is that its 50 historic provinces (dating from 1833) were chosen as the electoral districts, and these provinces ...
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Spain has a PR system that has not been particularly proportional. The main reason is that its 50 historic provinces (dating from 1833) were chosen as the electoral districts, and these provinces took no account of subsequent demographic changes. Thus, many of Spain’s districts are too small to achieve even reasonable proportionality, and the system as a whole is very malapportioned. Voters choose a party and not a candidate. The electoral rules have contributed to the success of non-statewide parties, but made life very difficult for small- and medium-sized statewide parties.Less
Spain has a PR system that has not been particularly proportional. The main reason is that its 50 historic provinces (dating from 1833) were chosen as the electoral districts, and these provinces took no account of subsequent demographic changes. Thus, many of Spain’s districts are too small to achieve even reasonable proportionality, and the system as a whole is very malapportioned. Voters choose a party and not a candidate. The electoral rules have contributed to the success of non-statewide parties, but made life very difficult for small- and medium-sized statewide parties.
