Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the principle of proportional representation in Germany. It begins by describing the two-ballot voting system and the minimum requirements for parties to have seats in the Bundestag. Then, it describes the successes of these systems and how their specific attributes contribute to real democracy. It also addresses the problems of the German system, namely "excess mandates," formulaic biases towards larger parties, and a few other problems. It concludes by discussing the application and adaptation of the German electoral system in other parts of the world.

From the Paper:

"Since the French revolution of 1789 peoples all over the world have examined the ways in which they are governed and strived to democratize their societies. The differing historical experiences and philosophical backgrounds of the world's cultures have contributed to innumerable variations of democratic governance. This diversity specifically applies to what is, perhaps, the most important sub-system of a democracy the electoral system. The electoral system of a democratic state is responsible for the procedures by which the electorate expresses its preferences for leadership. Consequently, societies will persistently reform and reexamine their electoral systems and forms of democracy in general in an effort to improve their performances. To aid in this endeavor it is helpful to analyze the systems of other states so that lessons can be learned from their successes and failures. Moreover, in an era of nation-building when fledgling democracies are being set up in trouble-spots in the world, effective electoral systems and their variations must be studied closely to aid in the process. To these ends, the electoral system of the Federal Republic of Germany (henceforth referred to either as Germany or the FRG) that is, the method by which Members of Bundestag are elected has been widely cited and celebrated for its high level of performance in realizing the principle of parliamentary electoral politics based on proportional representation. The concept of proportional representation is one offered as a solution to two main problems in the construction of electoral systems: ensuring that, in the end, each vote cast is equally represented relative to every other votes cast and establishing a system in which party competition is able to present policy alternatives without contributing to the fragmentation that undermines governmental efficacy (Powell 2004). Germany's success in applying proportional representation remedies to these problems is rather unique within the community of liberal democracies and presents a unique opportunity for examination."

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