Dados is one of the most widely-read social sciences journals in Latin America. Created in 1966, it publishes innovative works, originating from academic research, by Brazilian and foreign authors. Edited by IESP-UERJ, it aims to reconcile scientific rigor and academic excellence with an emphasis on public debate based on the analysis of substantive issues of society and politics.
Dados vol. 26 n. 2 Rio de Janeiro 1983
Abstract
The author argues that seen in abstract or ideological terms, majority and proportional representation systems appear to be excludent alternatives. However, when viewed in a comparative manner, the different electoral laws and formulas commonly associated with one of the systems seem to constitute a continuum defined by extreme perspectives concerning the relative impact of each arrangement on the degree of proportionality in the conversion of votes into congressional seats and the processes of concentration or fragmentation of party systems. From a comparative historical perspective, the author points out that England and the United States - countries with a long tradition of self government at the local level and nationally integrated cultures - were constrained into choosing between a stable government and political order, based on a stable majority resulting from a uninominal, one turn, simple majority electoral districts' system or the self-expression of the diverse tendencies within the electorate which is provided by a system of proportional representation. ln the first case, the electoral system should result in a political model of a highly centralized federation of local communities; in the second, the composition of parliament and ultimately of the government should faithfully reflect the specific weight of each existing political segment, tendency, or interest. Brazil does not face that dilemma, since she departs from different political traditions. The need to promote the national integration of local and regional modes of participation and to give representation to different electoral tendencies requires an electoral system based on a proportional representation formula which can simultaneously assure the expression of a plurality of social forces and avoid excessive fragmentation of the party system.
Representação Majoritária e Representação Proporcional: A Controvérsia Teórica e o Impacto das Fórmulas Eleitorais Sobre o Processo Político
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