Functions of Elections - Case Study Example

Functions of elections Introduction An election refers to a decision-making process through which residents of a country or certain region choose an individual to take part in governance through holding of public office (Courtney, 2005, p.24). Elections have been the way through which democracy has been executed since the 17th century. Different offices of governance are filled by way of elections. These offices include the legislature, local government, the executive, regional government and the judiciary (Courtney, 2005, p.27). However, these vary in different countries as per the provisions of conducting elections stipulated in the constitution. In addition, elections are used in private entities and business organizations to award leadership and management roles to qualified individuals. In ancient times, leadership positions were filled using lots. Election is a modern concept that became common from the 17th century. Elections serve different purposes in different situations. They give voters an opportunity to choose people they wish to lead them, an effective and stable government, to give legitimate powers to the elected individuals and a chance to choose individuals whose responsibility is to represent them in the process of decision making by the government (Courtney, 2005, p.33). Electoral reform is a term that refers to the process of establishing electoral systems that are fair, just and effective. In some places, other forms of choosing leaders such as referendums are classified under the broad category of elections. Functions of elections Elections serve several functions depending on the situation and reason under which they are conducted. However, not all of these reasons are equally compatible. The effectiveness of an electoral commission depends on its structure and its ability to fulfill the needs of the voters under any circumstance and situation. This encourages responsibility and accountability in representing the opinion of voters in any election through transparency of the electoral process (Harris, 2007, p.43). Several reasons are discussed below. Contribute to democratic governance Elections’ contribution to democratic governance is immense. Democracy refers to a form of governance that involves an all-inclusive decision making process that involves all citizens (Cunningham, 2002, p.54). In this form of government, all opinions of every citizen are put into consideration in decision-making process. In the modern world, direct democracy is achieved through representatives chosen by citizens. This is important because representing and considering the opinion of each citizen is impractical. Elections give voters a chance to elect leaders that they hold accountable for their performance in advancing and fulfilling their demands (Cunningham, 2002, p.59). Leaders conduct elections every few year to avoid dominance by one individual or party and to encourage accountability. Dominance undermines democracy because it presents no choices or options to voters as to who they want as their leader. In addition, regular elections foster the concept of leadership succession that is important in the propagation and continuation of democracy. Expression of public opinion Elections aid in the expression of public opinion because they are highly competitive and coerce leaders or potential candidates to present their plans and policies for scrutiny by voters (Held, 2006, p.63). As such, elections serve as a forum for discussion of important public matters of governance and leadership that affect the quality of the life of voters. As a result, these forums and discussions educate citizens on political matters that include proper governance: the responsibility of leaders in being accountable and effective. This public awareness pushes the government and elected leaders to follow the will of voters in governing them. Moreover, elections validate the decisions and actions of leaders as legitimately put in office by voters (Held, 2006, p.73). Electing good leaders is critical because once elected, they serve for some years before replacement and it is difficult to remove them before their term is over. Reinforcement of the stability and legitimacy of the people Elections make legitimate the community that joined by political systems (Lijphart, 1999, p.93). For example, the commemoration of public holiday brings people together and as such, validates the system of governance put in place. They also function as a self-actualization channel by expressing the validity and significance of voters as worthy human beings (Lijphart, 1999, p.99). In addition to fulfilling the needs of voters, elections serve to propagate value and respect of citizens. Citizens get a way to have their say and express their opinion. Precisely, this gives them a strong feeling of belonging. This is all-inclusive because failure to vote gives some citizen to express their dissatisfaction and distancing from political matters. Freedom to express personal opinion and fight for equality through voting is a fulfillment of the need for personal fulfillment. This improves the well-being of citizens. Establishment of an effective legislature The laws of a country that govern its citizens determine the quality of their lives. Laws govern every aspect of citizens’ lives and it is important that these laws are in accordance to the needs of the people (Lijphart, 1999, p.121) .They should also foster their well-being. Therefore, citizens should take part in establishment of laws. Through elections, citizens choose individuals that they consider qualified to represent their opinions and views in the process of law making. The enacted laws are true representation of the opinions and needs of the people because the chosen representatives present the people’s wish in the process. Care should be taken to choose good leaders as some leaders might present their own personal opinions to propagate personal interest. Promotion of peace and tranquility The major step in promoting peace and tranquility is the establishment of political institutions governed by well-defined legal provisions (Courtney, 2005, p.82). This ensures that no involved party turns to violence and other destructive means to advance their interest. This is achieved through the conduction of an election in which interested parties enter the ballot and compete for the available leadership position. Though violence may erupt in the process, the outcome suppresses any form of violence because it represents the decision of the voters. Elections are only conducted in some societies. In others, different forms of forming governments are followed. For example, some societies rely on historical hierarchy or royal families while others form governments through their religious beliefs and customs (Courtney, 2005, p.233). In all these cases, the main aim is to foster peace and mutual co-existence. In societies that do not hold elections, governments arise from political wars that determine the democracy that rules the people. Elections put in place effective ways of conflict resolution that do not compromise the peace enjoyed by citizens. Safeguarding people’s rights There is widespread violation of the human rights of citizens in countries that form governments through tyranny. In such societies, the people’s opinions are not considered or of any importance to the government in power. United Kingdom’s electoral system The electoral commission of the United Kingdom has two constituent systems: First Past the Post (FPTP) and Proportional Representation (PR) (Conyers, 2008, p.55). FPTP electoral system is used to elect members of parliament to political seats. In this system, the individual who gets the majority of votes at both constituency and national level wins (Conyers, 2008, p.57). This implies that at the constituency level, a candidate needs only one vote to be declared the winner against other opponents. In addition, a political party only requires an extra seat over the opponents to attain majority and win. This system has some advantages (Conyers, 2008, p.59). The possibility of electing extremist parties is very low considering the high improbability of getting adequate votes in all constituencies. In addition, this system allows fast release of election results thus making the transition of political power from the incumbent party to the new easy. Disadvantages include the misrepresentation of the votes cast for a certain party based on the seats won (Conyers, 2008, p.63). Therefore, it presents the possibility of electing a government on minority vote. Moreover, small parties do not get an equal chance to win because even though they may have national support, the do not attain enough votes in individual constituencies to guarantee victory. It also encourages tactical voting, in which voters vote to prevent a certain party from winning and not for the sole purpose of supporting their party. In the Proportional Representation (PR) system, there is greater proportionality compared to the FPTP (Farrell, 2006, p.39). It incorporates both Single Transferable Vote (STV) and Regional lists. In some cases, some systems incorporate FPTP and another form of PR known as Additional Member System (AMS).Under this system, the number of seats won is proportional to the number of votes cast for that party. It has several advantages (Farrell, 2006, p.41). First, it encourages coalition governments. As such, the cooperation formed between partner parties encourages a more united form of political system. In addition, there is stability in policy execution because each party has its own suggestions and balance has to be maintained. The system has several applications. For example, in Scotland AMS make constituencies multi-party. This gives voters more options to choose from. In addition, the regional lists may increase the representation of women, disabled people and minority groups in parliament (Farrell, 2006, p.43). This only happens if the party leader makes them a priority in his system of leadership. However, it is not automatic that the AMS leads to a minority government as witnessed in 2011. A weakness of this system is that during elections, voters do not prefer coalition governments. Small parties can determine the winner if they decide to rally behind specific parties that have greater influence. This gives these small parties more power to gain control by threatening to pull out of coalition governments. In Regional or National lists system, the representation of minority groups may be compromised (Farrell, 2006, p.54). This discourages the continuation of democracy. Recommendation The two systems of electoral commission have their advantages that make them appropriate. In addition, they have disadvantages that make them inappropriate. Elections are a way of fostering democracy and the system that fulfills this effectively is the best and most preferred. For parliamentary elections in the UK, I would recommend the FPTP system. This is because of several reasons. First, the other voting system may lead to extremist parties gaining political power that is risky to the continuation of democracy. Secondly, the system is highly effective because of its simplicity. It is very simple to understand, to execute and to pass judgment. Its simplicity is in the fact that the individual who garners majority of votes wins. This gives more significant results that lead to formation of more significant governments. This means that voters who vote rather that by politicians who engage in coalitions make decisions. Thirdly, the FPTP system maintains a connection between the voters and the leader. This enhances accountability and keeps the voters in connection with their elected representative. Conclusion Elections have been the way through which democracy has been executed since the 17th century. Different offices of governance are filled by way of elections. These offices include the legislature, local government, the executive, regional government and the judiciary (Courtney, 2005, p.27). However, these vary in different countries as per the provisions of conducting elections stipulated in the constitution. In addition, elections are used in private entities and business organizations to award leadership and management roles to qualified individuals. In ancient times, leadership positions were filled using lots. Election is a modern concept that became common from the 17th century. The function of elections include fostering democracy, presents a way of expressing public opinion, reinforcement of the stability and legitimacy of people and formation of an effective legislature. The United Kingdom electoral system is composed of two forms that have their strengths and weaknesses. The two systems include First Past the Post (FPTP) and Proportional Representation (PR) (Farrell, 2006, p.63). FPTP electoral system applies in electing members of parliament to political seats in the United Kingdom. In this system, the individual who gets the majority of votes at both constituency and national level is the winner. In the Proportional Representation (PR) system, there is greater proportionality compared to the FPTP (Courtney, 2005, p.62). It incorporates both Single Transferable Vote (STV) and Regional lists. In some cases, FPTP is combined with another form of PR known as Additional Member System (AMS).Under this system, the number of seats won is proportional to the number of votes cast for that party. Considering the two systems, I would recommend the FPTP system because of its inherent benefits as compared to the PR system. References Conyers, D. 2008. Deepening Democracy in the UK: Rhetoric and Reality. Sussex: Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex. Courtney, J. 2005. Elections. Canada: UBC Press. Cunningham, F.2002. Theories of Democracy: a Critical Introduction. London: Routledge. Farrell, D.2006.Electoral Systems: a Comparative Introduction. New York: Palgrave Macmillan Harris, N. 2007. What are Elections? Canada: Heinemann. Held, D. 2006. Models of Democracy. Stafford BC: Polity. Lijphart, A. 1999.Patterns of Democracy: Government Forms and Performance in Thirty-Six Countries. Yale: Yale University Press. Read More