Electoral Systems and Accountability

Countries deemed to be democratic are characterised by regular, free and fair elections. These are meant to be the litmus tests of elected officials’ accountability to the electorate. Those politicians who did not perform well are not re-elected. But which electoral system is the most appropriate for holding elected officials accountable – especially in South Africa where the system of proportional representation (PR) is perceived to have distanced the country’s public representatives from those who vote for them? PR, it is said, puts power in the hands of party bosses. Electoral Systems and Accountability looks at and analyses different electoral systems, giving their pros and cons. It examines how different systems operate in Germany, Ghana, Kenya, India, the UK, USA and Zimbabwe. The book provides food for thought, not only for political analysts but for the broader South African public who may feel short-changed by the current PR system. Much as the Constitution has charged Parliament with holding government to account, loyalty to the party that decides who will be on the electoral list has compromised many elected officials into toeing the party line rather than acting in the interests of their constituencies.