Electoral systems - Majoritarian electoral systems - Single-member district plurality system (SMDP)

3 important questions on Electoral systems - Majoritarian electoral systems - Single-member district plurality system (SMDP)

A single-member district plurality system (SMDP) is:

One which individuals cast a single vote for a candidate in a single-member district. The candidate with the most votes is elected.

Two strengths of the SMDP system are:

  • Simplicity
  • Only one representative is elected in each district. As a result, SMDP systems tend to produce high levels of constituency service and close bonds between constituents and their representatives.

Three criticisms of the SMDP system are:

  • It has the potential to produce unrepresentative outcomes and it tends to favor larger parties at the expense of smaller ones.
  • It encourages individuals to vote strategically rather than in accordance with their true preferences.
  • It can encourage the creation of ethnic parties in countries in which ethic groups are regionally concentrated.

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