Upload
arthur-farmer
View
221
Download
0
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
French Electoral Politics: A Case Study in Electoral Systems
QuickTime™ and a decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
QuickTime™ and a decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
What are the prevailing definitions of democracy?
Class suggestions: Equality of the people Checks & balances Freedom of speech, association Right to own property Due process before the law
“A system in which the most powerful decision makers are selected through fair and periodic voting procedures in which candidates can compete for votes, and in which virtually all the people have the right to vote.”
- Samuel Huntington
Definitions of Democracy, cont’d.
Robert Dahl’s 8 essential components of a full (liberal) democracy:
1) Right to vote2) Right to be elected/eligibility for public office3) The right of political leaders to compete for support and votes4) Free and fair elections5) Freedom of association6) Freedom of expression7) Alternative sources of information8) Institutions that make government policies dependent on votes and voter
preference- Robert Dahl, Polyarchy
France: A Democracy?
QuickTime™ and a decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
• France is an electoral democracy• Elites in executive and legislative branch elected, responsive to voters
• High rate of participation• 2007 Presidential Election: ~44 million registered (60 million total)
83% of those registered vote
• Media operate freely
• Freedom of religion is protected by Constitution• Controversial law in 2004 bans “ostentatious” religious symbols in school
• Freedom of assembly & association respected
• Well qualified judiciary with firm rule of law
• Gender equality, rights of homosexuals protected
Source: Freedom House
QuickTime™ and a decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Paris, France: The streets of the country's capital are filled with workers who are worried about what is going to happen to their jobs in the economic downturn. January 29, 2009.
What type of democracy?
Characteristics of French model in comparative politics:
1) Presidential-parliamentary system of governance
2) Two round system for presidential and single-member legislative elections
3) Unitary center-periphery relations
France: A Brief HistoryMonarchy and Absolutism (e.g. Louis XIV)
First Republic (1782-1804) French Revolution and end of monarchy (1789) Napoleon is named Emperor (1804-1815)
Second Republic (1848-1852)
Third Republic (1870-1940) WWI (1914-1918) WWII (1939-1945)
Fourth Republic (1946-1958)
Fifth Republic (1958-Present) Charles de Gaulle serves as President (1959-1969) Constitutional Amendment expanding presidential power (1962) Algerian War for Independence (1954-1962) François Mitterrand elected President (1980) Jacques Chirac elected Prime Minister - First cohabitation (1986) Referendum reduces presidential term to 5 years (2002) Nicolas Sarkozy elected President (2007)
QuickTime™ and a decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Presidential Parliamentarian System
Dual-executive system President and prime minister each with significant
decision-making powers Maximizes efficiency of decision-making process in
parliamentary system Provides stability of executive authority in presidential
system Seeks separation-on-powers Danger of all-too powerful president
Institutions of governance
Dual executive: President serves 5-year term
Directly elected, appoints Prime Minister and Cabinet of Ministers, command military, may submit questions to referendum
Cannot post legislation, but strongly urge P.M. and National Assembly to act
Preeminent figure if supporters control Parliament, he sets tone Examples Charles de Gaulle, Nicolas Sarkozy
Prime Minister Manages agenda in Parliament, maintains party discipline Must command majority Subject to no-confidence resolutions
Much of 5th republic P.M. and President of same party Cohabitation: When President is of different party than majority in
Parliament President will guide foreign policy and P.M. determines domestic affairs
Institutions of governance II
Legislature 577-seat National Assembly serve 5-year term
Principal legislative body May force resignation of cabinet via censure motion
321-seat Senate Chosen via electoral college Limited legislative power
Multiple mandates Customary for members of Parliament to have additional offices (e.g. deputy-
mayor)
Judiciary Independent, ensures rule of law
Judicial, administrative bodies Conseil d’État oversee executive decisions
Elections Part I
What are the different categories of elections?
Elections Part Deux What type of system does France have?
President Directly elected to five-year term Candidates that win more than 50% in the first round win seat Otherwise 2nd round: the candidates that wins the most votes wins the
seat
National Assembly - 577 members Single-district, plurality system (2 rounds of voting) Also subject to runoff
Senate - 321 members Elected for six-year terms by an electoral college of elected
representatives from each département
National referendums on key issues
QuickTime™ and a decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
2007 French Presidential ElectionsCandidate (Parties) 1st Round 2nd Round
Nicolas Sarkozy 11,448,663 18,983,138(Union for a Popular Movement) (31.1%) (53.06%)
Ségolène Royal 9,500,112 16,790,440(Socialist Party) (25.87%) (46.94%)
François Bayrou 6,820,119 (Union for French Democracy) (18.57%)
Jean-Marie Le Pen 3,834,530 (National Front) (10.44%)
Olivier Besancenot 1,498,581 (Revolutionary Communist League) (4.08%)
Not a 2-party system, but power alternates betw. steady left / right coalitions
QuickTime™ and a decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Centralization Unitary v. Federalism
What is the difference?
France as a model unitary state High degree of political centralization
Authority, sovereignty, policy dictated by “center”
Role of state in construction of French identity
Expansive powers in all aspects of daily life State industry, education
Local government largely subservient
Growing call for regionalism
Comparative with Other Systems
How does this contrast with the U.S. system?
Other systems we’ve studied?
More or less democratic?