Inequality and the value of one vote. A comparative view of malapportionment in the Lower Chambers of Parliament.

Authors

  • PABLO SIMÓN COSANO

Keywords:

Electoral system, malapportionment, Gini index, bias, single-member.

Abstract

This study gives a comparative analysis of malapportionment in the lower chambers of 64 countries’ parliaments. It offers a model based on Samuels & Snyder’s (2001), showing that the internal inequality of a country is the best indicator of this bias in its lower parliamentary chamber, regardless of whether it is a new or an old democracy, or the sort of transition it has gone through to become democratic. This is because of political elites’ monopoly of the design of electoral laws, which they draw up in the hope of obtaining future party-political advantages. This malapportionment leads the rural areas, often poorer than the urban ones, being over-represented, as they are expected to vote more conservatively. Inequalities have thus been used to assure a political space for the traditional elites.

Published

2009-02-26

Issue

Section

RESEARCH NOTES