Electorate and Representation

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• Compulsory voting system requires every voter to cast their vote by law.
• Separate communal electorate systems aim to secure the interests of religious minorities.
• A bye-election is held to fill a few vacant vacancies.
• The citizens allowed to participate in the voting process are known as electorates.
• The right to vote in a good democracy is given to those who have become adults.
• Adult franchise in democracy is advantageous as it aligns with the democratic system.
• The system of adult franchise aligns with the concept of popular sovereignty.
• A serious disadvantage of adult franchise is that it might develop anti-national feelings.
• Women in England got the right to vote during the economic depression of 1928.
• Women of France got the right to vote at the close of the 2nd World War.
• Woman franchise is pleaded to protect women as a weaker section of society.
• Womanhood franchise is opposed because female education is not politically motivated.
• A good voter can be someone who is highly educated.
• Proportional representation primarily aims to give representation to minorities in societies.
• List system was adopted in actual practice in France.
• “Proportional representation system contributes to the aggravation of successful sectionalism,” according to Finer.
• Proportional representation’s advantage is that minorities get proper representation.
• A serious disadvantage of proportional representation is that it widens the gap between the majority and the minority.
• Under functional representation, representatives are elected based on functional categories.
• Functional representation system is called artificial and unreal by G.D.H. Cole.
• Henry Webbs suggested having two Parliaments for dealing with political and economic problems.
• An advantage of functional representation is that legislative work can be conducted by very competent persons.
• A serious problem of functional representation is that it can divide society into small economic groups.
• The system of direct election is liked because it maintains an indirect link between the elected and the voters.
• The system of direct election is disliked as it introduces the evils of the party system.
• Joint electorate system means there is no reservation of seats for anyone.
• The system of instructed representation has been much opposed by Burke.
• Direct election refers to the process where voters directly take part in electing representatives.
• Indirect election is the method used in India for the election of the President.
• In India, elections are organized by the Election Commission.
• Universal adult franchise aims at equality of all in society, except “None of these.”
• Electorate refers to a voter who is required to elect their representative.
• Herbert Spencer was opposed to the system of proportional representation.
• Gilchrist was opposed to the universal adult franchise as it’s not truly universal.
• Proportional representation’s main objective is to provide proper representation to minorities.
• A by-election is held to fill a vacancy after general elections are over.
• A multi-member constituency is one from which more than one representative is elected.
• Karl Marx said that all true and democratic representation is functional representation.
• Joint electorate system means voters belonging to all categories, castes, and religion vote together.
• The advantage of the list system is that it enhances the prestige of the legislature.
• Limited vote plan’s aim is to give representation to minorities.
• The cumulative method aims at protecting minorities and enhancing national unity.
• Single transferable vote system requires each voter to indicate preferences for multiple candidates.
• Plural voting refers to the system where a voter is given more than one vote to cast.
• Instructed representation is a system where representatives are required to work under instructions from their electorates.
• Compulsory voting is criticized for forcing disinterested people to vote.
• Max Weber suggested having two Parliaments to deal with economic and political problems.
• An enlightened voter should cast their vote judiciously and not be swayed by considerations of caste and religion.
• Women’s suffrage is justified as it helps protect the interests of weaker sections of society.
• Single transferable vote system allows voters to indicate preferences for as many candidates as there are seats.
• Franchise means the right to vote.
• Electorate refers to the body of voters.
• Suffrage means the right to vote granted to all adult citizens.
• Universal adult franchise means the right to vote granted to all adult citizens.
• Laski strongly opposed universal adult franchise, considering it not truly universal.
• Gilchrist said that universal adult franchise is not truly universal.
• Universal adult franchise is an essential feature of a democratic system.
• Universal adult franchise is in line with the principle of popular sovereignty.
• Universal adult franchise is justified as it gives practical shape to the principle of popular sovereignty.
• Universal adult franchise’s chief defect is that it leads to rule by ignorant individuals.
• Women’s suffrage means the right to vote granted to all adult married women.
• Women’s suffrage is argued to protect the interests of weaker sections of society.
• Women in England got the right to vote in 1928.
• One argument against women’s suffrage is that women might lose their feminine qualities.
• Henry Webbs suggested having two Parliaments to separately deal with economic and political problems.
• Joint electorate means elections where voters from various categories vote together.
• Direct election means voters directly take part in electing their representatives.
• Indirect election means representatives are elected by intermediate electors.
• The chief merit of single-member constituencies is the intimate relationship between electors and representatives.
• Constituency refers to the division of the country into electoral areas for conducting elections.
• A single-member constituency elects only one representative.
• One main defect of single-member constituencies is that people’s choice regarding representatives is narrowed.
• Multi-member constituencies are considered better as they provide greater freedom in selecting representatives.
• A multi-member constituency elects several members from the same area.
• Multi-member constituencies are considered better as they provide greater freedom in selecting representatives.
• Minority representation aims to provide representation to various minority groups.
• Proportional representation provides representation to each party group in proportion to its voting strength.
• The two prominent schemes of proportional representation are the Hare Scheme and List System.
• Under the Hare Scheme, every voter enjoys one effective role.
• The Quota under the Hare Scheme is determined by dividing the total number of valid polled votes by the number of seats plus one.
• Under the single transferable vote system, each voter can indicate preferences for as many candidates as there are to be elected.
• Under the List System, there are multi-member constituencies.
• Under the List System, each voter enjoys as many votes as there are seats to be filled up.
• Under the List System, each voter votes for the list as a whole.
• Under the List System, the list of the contesting candidates is prepared by each political party.
• Limited Vote Plan allows each voter to cast one vote less than the seats to be filled.
• The Limited Vote Plan is defective as it provides representation to large minorities only.
• The three important schemes for minority representation are Limited vote plan, Cumulative Vote Plan, and Reservation of Seats.
• The Cumulative Voting Plan requires voters to divide their votes amongst candidates.
• Communal Representation means representation based on religion.
• Communal representation presupposes the existence of separate electorates.
• Limited Vote Plan is a scheme for minority representation.
• Territorial Representation means electing representatives based on the area or locality.
• Functional Representation means representation on a vocational basis.
• Mirabeau was a strong advocate of Functional Representation.
• A chief merit of functional representation is securing representation to various interests.
• Second Ballot system implies a second voting round between the top two candidates.
• One chief merit of the second ballot system is ensuring representation by absolute majority.
• The statement argues for rule according to the consent of the governed.
• The most important feature of elections is a peaceful change of government.
• The quota required for election according to the Hare Plan would be 5055.
• The statement “Voice of the people may be the voice of God” is associated with Sir Henry Maine.
• The electorate refers to the body of citizens who elect those who govern.
• S. Mill was a strong supporter of proportional representation.
• Proportional representation seeks to secure representation to various groups in proportion to their voting strength.
• Universal Adult Franchise implies the right to vote for all adult citizens.
• When voters directly elect members, the system is known as direct elections.
• Women were granted franchise very recently in Switzerland.
• Aliens are generally denied franchise.
• Citizens in the USA, the USSR, and Britain can exercise their franchise at the age of 18.
• India was the first country to grant franchise to all citizens at 18 years.
• S. Mill advocated that participation in suffrage should require the ability to read.
• S. Mill emphasized that the assembly voting taxes should be elected by taxpayers.
• S. Mill argued for granting franchise to women based on their greater need for protection.
• S. Mill was a great supporter of plural voting.
• In the List System of voting, the voter indicates choice for a political party.
• The electorate in modern times has become virtually an organ of the government.
• S. Mill was in favor of granting the right to vote only to educated people.
• The List System is a voting method where voters choose a political party, not individual candidates.
• “None of these” is often added as the correct answer for questions with no valid options.
• The cumulative voting system assigns each voter as many votes as there are seats to be filled.
• Plural Voting refers to allowing individuals to cast multiple votes based on certain criteria.
• The slogan “No taxation without representation” was associated with the American Revolution.
• Direct democracy involves citizens directly participating in decision-making through voting.
• In direct elections, voters participate in the election of representatives themselves.
• In a unicameral legislature, there’s only one legislative chamber or house.
• In a bicameral legislature, there are two separate chambers or houses.
• A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion expressing lack of confidence in the government.
• A hung parliament occurs when no single party has a majority in the legislature.
• The term “nay” in voting means expressing a negative or opposing vote.
• A referendum is a direct vote by the people on a specific issue or policy.
• The term “recall” refers to the process of removing an elected official from office through a vote.
• A proportional representation system aims to ensure representation based on the proportion of votes received.
• A “whip” in parliamentary terms refers to a party’s member who ensures party discipline in voting.
• A “cross-bench” member refers to an independent or non-party affiliated member in a legislature.
• Plenary sessions are full meetings of a legislative body, involving all members.
• A veto allows an executive authority to reject a decision made by the legislature.
• “Bicameral” means having two separate chambers in a legislature.
• “Unicameral” means having a single chamber in a legislature.
• The “Cabinet” is a group of senior government officials chosen by the prime minister or president.
• The “Shadow Cabinet” consists of members from the opposition who mirror the roles of the government cabinet.
• “Coalition government” forms when two or more parties cooperate to govern.
• The “Speaker” is the presiding officer of a legislative assembly.
• A “bill” is a proposal for new legislation or an amendment to existing legislation.
• The “first past the post” voting system awards the seat to the candidate with the most votes.
• “Gerrymandering” refers to manipulating district boundaries to favor a particular party or group.
• “Constituency” refers to the geographical area represented by an elected official.
• The “opposition” consists of parties not in government, often critical of government policies.
• “Executive” refers to the branch of government responsible for implementing and enforcing laws.
• “Legislature” is the branch of government responsible for making laws.