Diversity and affirmative action
The Economist has a good article on diversity in national legislatures.The article asks some good questions about legitimacy, political integration/alienation, equality, ethnic/racial integration, and the prevention of terrorism. All those questions would be good ones for your students to discuss. (There are good details in the article.)
Must the rainbow turn monochrome in parliament?
"THE political representation of racial minorities troubles in almost every country, rich or poor...
"Every society is composed of minorities of one sort or another, but few people believe that left-handers, redheads, homosexuals or Elvis impersonators have a claim on any particular degree of representation in elected legislatures. In so far as racial minorities are different, it is because they more often suffer discrimination.
"In general, minorities are indeed under-represented...
"Part of the puzzle is that people count minorities differently...
"Each group behaves differently...
"In due course, though, minorities usually want to take a full part in the political life of their country. Inevitably, the obstacles in their way depend partly on the attitude of the majority...
"The attitude to politics of the minority group itself also matters...
"Minorities' political participation is also affected by the ease or difficulty of gaining citizenship...
"The voting system can also make a difference. Andrew Reynolds of the University of North Carolina found in a survey of 31 countries that proportional representation (PR) tends to attract more minority candidates than first-past-the-post voting...
"Does any of this really matter? In an extensive study, the Minority Rights Group, a British NGO, found that, with the exception of Iraq, countries with the highest minority representation turn out to be those where minorities are pretty safe from political and military threats. That does not necessarily mean that more minority MPs will improve race relations. The causation may run the other way: minority politicians may win election when race relations are good. But promoting minority representation in legislatures is likely to reduce political alienation among minorities. That in itself can be no bad thing."
Labels: legislature, political culture, political integration
posted by Ken Wedding @ 7:38 PM
2 Comments:
The point is that proportional voting systems make it easier for minority candidates to get nominated, and thereby get elected. Proportional systems promote diversity.
If you are choosing one candidate in each electoral district, then every district uses the same strategy and ends up with the same candidate.
Proportional elections require slates of candidates, so the strategy is different. Parties now have to offer something for everyone.
Same for women. The problem is not just getting people to vote for you, it's getting your name on the ballot in the first place.
That's why every country except Cuba that has at least 30% women in its national assembly uses a proportional voting system.
www.VoteforMMP.ca/blog/44
That's the kind of understanding I'd hope students would glean from the article.
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