Disproportionality in a Proportional Representation System: The Irish Experience
| Published date | 01 December 1975 |
| DOI | 10.1111/j.1467-9248.1975.tb00087.x |
| Date | 01 December 1975 |
| Author | Michael Gallagher |
| Subject Matter | Article |
DISPROPORTIONALITY IN
A
PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION
SYSTEM: THE IRISH EXPERIENCE*
MICHAEL GALLAGHER
University
of
Strathclyde
GENERAL
elections in the Republic of Ireland are held under an almost unique
electoral system. This system, based upon the single transferable vote with multi-
member constituencies, is employed in a number of Anglo-American states
for
elections to local authorities, upper houses of parliament, provincial legislatures
or
unofficial bodies, but only in Ireland and Malta does it govern elections to the
lower house.’ It clearly differs from plurality
or
majority (p/m) systems, but
it
also differs crucially from most proportional representation (PR) systems because
it does not involve party lists and allows an important role to individual preference
orderings. In consequence, the extent to which it actually produces proportionality
between seats and votes obtained cannot be gauged from the results of studies of
the proportionality produced by other electoral systems.
Discussion of the effects and merits of various electoral systems is by now
a
sufficiently well-established theme in the literature to require no recapitulation
here. Duverger’s two standard works are beginning
to
show their age, while the
authors of two of the most comprehensive studies make no attempt to conceal
the location of their sympathies in the ‘PR
or
not PR’ debate. Rae’s cross-national
study
of
electoral systems is by its very nature too broad to permit either detailed
examination of the workings of the system of any particular country
or
analysis at
any level lower than the national.2 Only two book-length studies of the Irish elec-
toral system have been made; of these Ross’ is concerned to establish the case for
PR, while
O’Leary’s
devotes only a chapter to the impact
of
the electoral
~ystern.~
This study will examine how the electoral system has transformed votes won by
political groupings into seats at Irish general elections from June
1927
to
1973
The picture at the aggregate level will be considered and comparisons will be
made with other countries. An attempt will then be made
to
assess the impact
of the changes in the number and sizes of constituencies which have been effected
by each Electoral Act. Finally, we will consider whether governing parties have
ever deliberately revised constituency boundaries
so
as to give themselves an
electoral advantage.
*
I
should like to thank
Professor
Richard Rose and
Tom
Mackie
for
their comments on
an earlier draft
of
this paper.
See
E.
Lakeman,
How
Democracies Vote
(London, 1974), Appendix
1,
pp.
278-80.
*
M.
Duverger,
L‘lnfluence
des
Systemes Electoraux sur la Vie Politique
(Paris, 1950), and
Political Parties
(London, 1952);
F.
A. Hermens,
Democracy or Anarchy?
(South Bend, 1941)
(hostile to PR); Lakeman, op. cit. (pro-PR);
D.
Rae,
The Political Consequences
of
Electoral
Laws
(New Haven, 1971).
J.
F.
S.
Ross,
The Irish Electoral System
(London, 1959); Cornelius
OLeary,
The Irish
Republic
(South Bend, 1961).
See
also
J.
Hogan,
Election
and
Representation
(Cork, 1945), the
fust
section
of
which considers
Irish
electoral history up
to
the date
of
publication.
Political
Studies.
Vol.
SXUI,
No.
4
(501-513)
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