Democratic Design and Democratic Reform The Case of Australia

Benjamin Reilly

《Taiwan Journal of Democracy》 12卷2期 (2016/12) Pp. 1-16

摘要

Distinctive aspects of Australian democracy-high levels of participation, aggregative voting systems, and a utilitarian preference for government to play the role of both rulemaker and arbiter-are rooted in the institutional configuration of Australian politics. This essay argues that Australia's unique combination of majoritarian and proportional preferential electoral models has seen the emergence of a political system which, for the most part, has balanced the need for strong government in the lower House of Representatives with broader representation in the Senate. Preferential voting also has tended to push Australian politics toward the center, avoiding the polarization found in comparable democracies such as the United States. As a result, Australian electoral institutions are increasingly being examined, advocated, or adopted elsewhere.

關鍵字

Australia ； alternative vote ； elections ； polarization ； preferential voting

參考文獻

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