Majority Voting as a Catalyst of Populism
Preferential Decision-making for an Inclusive Democracy
Authors: Emerson, Peter
Free Preview- Offers a critique of binary voting procedures, supported by illustrative case studies
- Suggests all-party power-sharing should replace all forms of single-party or majority coalition majority rule
- Compellingly argues that majority-rule systems tend to promote conflicts and populism
Buy this book
- About this book
-
This timely book presents a critique of binary majority rule and provides insights into why, in many instances, the outcome of a two-option ballot does not accurately reflect the will of the people. Based on the author's first-hand experience, majority-voting is argued to be a catalyst of populism and its divisive outcomes have prompted countless disputes throughout Europe and Asia. In like manner, simple majority rule is seen as a cause of conflict in war zones, and of dysfunction in so-called stable democracies. In order to safeguard democracy, an all-party power-sharing approach is proposed, which would make populism less attractive to voters and governments alike. In geographically arranged chapters, well-tested alternative voting procedures (e. g. non-majoritarian Modified Borda Count) are presented in case studies of Northern Ireland, Central Europe, the Balkans, the Caucasus, Russia, China, North Korea and Mongolia.
- About the authors
-
Peter Emerson is the director of the Belfast-based international NGO "The de Borda Institute". He has campaigned for inclusive governance since 1978. His publications include From Majority Rule to Inclusive Politics (Springer, 2016), Defining Democracy: Voting Procedures in Decision-Making, Elections and Governance (2nd ed. in 2012, Springer) and Designing an All-Inclusive Democracy: Consensual Voting Procedures for Use in Parliaments, Councils and Committees (Springer, 2007).
- Table of contents (7 chapters)
-
-
Decision-making in Parliaments and Referendums
Pages 3-30
-
Parliamentary and Presidential Elections
Pages 31-52
-
Governance: From Power-dividing to Power-sharing
Pages 53-73
-
Majority Voting in Belfast, Dublin and London
Pages 77-105
-
Continental Europe: Are We All Little Bolsheviks?
Pages 107-151
-
Table of contents (7 chapters)
Recommended for you
Bibliographic Information
- Bibliographic Information
-
- Book Title
- Majority Voting as a Catalyst of Populism
- Book Subtitle
- Preferential Decision-making for an Inclusive Democracy
- Authors
-
- Peter Emerson
- Copyright
- 2020
- Publisher
- Springer International Publishing
- Copyright Holder
- Springer Nature Switzerland AG
- eBook ISBN
- 978-3-030-20219-4
- DOI
- 10.1007/978-3-030-20219-4
- Hardcover ISBN
- 978-3-030-20218-7
- Softcover ISBN
- 978-3-030-20221-7
- Edition Number
- 1
- Number of Pages
- XXXIX, 227
- Number of Illustrations
- 26 b/w illustrations, 7 illustrations in colour
- Topics
