What is proportional representation? Discuss its merits and demerits.

Answer Details

Meaning. Proportional representation (PR) is an electoral system in which the number of seats a political party wins in the legislature is roughly equal to the proportion of the total votes it receives. If a party polls, for example, thirty per cent of the votes, it is allotted about thirty per cent of the seats. It is designed so that seats reflect popular support as closely as possible, and it is usually operated through multi-member constituencies using the party-list or single-transferable-vote methods.

Merits.

1. It ensures a fair and accurate reflection of the wishes of the electorate, since seats match votes.
2. It gives representation to minority parties and minority groups who would win nothing under the simple-majority system.
3. It reduces wasted votes, because almost every vote counts towards a seat.
4. It encourages the formation of many parties, widening the range of choice available to voters.
5. It promotes national unity and consensus by compelling parties to cooperate and form coalition governments.

Demerits.

1. It tends to produce weak and unstable coalition governments made up of several parties.
2. The method of allocating seats is complicated and difficult for ordinary voters to understand.
3. The close link between a representative and a particular constituency is weakened, especially under the party-list system.
4. Party leaders gain excessive power because they decide the order of candidates on the party list.
5. The multiplication of small parties can make governance unwieldy and encourage extremist groups to gain seats.