Analyses of the Overrepresentations of Large Parties in Proportional Representation Blocs

Abstract

Chapter 6 addresses the hindering of proportional representation’s operation of rewarding each party for a share of seats close to their share of votes. In order to substantiate this inference, this chapter makes two sets of simulations, namely the simulations of the proportional representation seats on the assumption of the nationwide constituency and those on the assumption of the Hare method. This chapter demonstrates the overrepresentations of large parties and the underrepresentations of small parties caused by the small constituency magnitude in the eleven blocs. This chapter also demonstrates the overrepresentations of two largest parties and the underrepresentations of small parties caused by the D’Hondt method. The divide between the overrepresentations and the underrepresentations was similar between the small constituency magnitude and the D’Hondt method, as it was empirically in the range between 11 per cent and 15 per cent of proportional representation votes on the former assumption and 17 or 18 per cent on the latter assumption. The effect was also similar between the small constituency magnitude and the D’Hondt method, as it was empirically in the range between 3 per cent and 8 per cent of the proportional representation seats on the former assumption and between 3 per cent and 10 per cent on the latter assumption.