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First-past-the-post tend to lead to two-party systems while proportional representation tend to lead to multi-party systems. But you can’t have proportional rep

First-past-the-post tend to lead to two-party systems while proportional representation tend to lead to multi-party systems. But you can’t have proportional representation in presidental elections since only one candidate can win. Countries with multi-party systems tend to have parlimentary systems.

Propelloni 1y ago
And yet the French somehow manage to have a multi-party system while citizens directly vote for the president. And they also have a parliament, as does the USA.
- crucialfelix 1y ago
  Because they can have two rounds of voting: the first time you vote for who you really want, the second time you choose the lesser evil
  - deleted 1y ago
    [deleted]
- dragonwriter 1y ago
  > And they also have a parliament, as does the USA. A "parliamentary system" is not about just having a parliament (an elected legislature), it is a name for a system where the elected parliament is the paramount power in government, including choosing the head of government. The French have something close to that, the US does not. The French have a semi-presidential system where, as in a parliamentary system, the head of government is the PM elected by the parliament and formally appointed by the President who is the head of state, the US has a (very strong) Presidential system, where the President is head of government (as well as having a Presidential election system that, even ignoring the role of the President, inherently favors duopoly more than the two-round French system.)
kubb 1y ago
The executive body in Switzerland has members from 5 different parties, but it's elected by the federal assembly, not directly: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Council_(Switzerland) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Council_(Switzerland)
- mamonster 1y ago
  Its not really an "election" since they have to stick to the Zauberformel and reproduce the results of the parliament. The only elective part is which "faction" of the party the person will be coming from, i.e "Zürich"/"Bern for UDC/SVP.

Propelloni 1y ago

And yet the French somehow manage to have a multi-party system while citizens directly vote for the president. And they also have a parliament, as does the USA.

crucialfelix 1y ago
Because they can have two rounds of voting: the first time you vote for who you really want, the second time you choose the lesser evil
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
dragonwriter 1y ago
> And they also have a parliament, as does the USA. A "parliamentary system" is not about just having a parliament (an elected legislature), it is a name for a system where the elected parliament is the paramount power in government, including choosing the head of government. The French have something close to that, the US does not. The French have a semi-presidential system where, as in a parliamentary system, the head of government is the PM elected by the parliament and formally appointed by the President who is the head of state, the US has a (very strong) Presidential system, where the President is head of government (as well as having a Presidential election system that, even ignoring the role of the President, inherently favors duopoly more than the two-round French system.)

kubb 1y ago

The executive body in Switzerland has members from 5 different parties, but it's elected by the federal assembly, not directly: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Council_(Switzerland) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Council_(Switzerland)

mamonster 1y ago
Its not really an "election" since they have to stick to the Zauberformel and reproduce the results of the parliament. The only elective part is which "faction" of the party the person will be coming from, i.e "Zürich"/"Bern for UDC/SVP.