The document discusses the continuum of political systems ranging from totalitarianism to democracy, focusing on the concentration of power and the degree of political participation allowed. It compares different models of democracy, including Westminster and consensual approaches, and outlines various electoral systems such as plurality, majority, and proportional representation. Key features like party systems, government structure, and types of constitutions are also examined.

1. On Political Systems
1

2. CONTINUUM OF POLITICAL SYSTEMS
Totalitarian Democratic

3. In terms of concentration of authority…
Power is concentrated
among an elite few.
Power is diffused among
societal actors.
There is large room for
discretion in terms of
political participation.
Political participation is limited
to the privileged who impose
their will on the people
…or relative amount of political space.
Totalitarian Democratic

4. “[Authoritarian regimes are] political systems with limited,
non-responsible political pluralism without an elaborated
and guiding ideology, but with distinctive mentalities,
without extensive or intensive political mobilization,
except at some points in their development, and in which
a leader to, occasionally, a small group exercises power
within formally ill-defined, but actually quite predictable
limits.”
(Morlino, 1981: 91)
Juan Linz’s (1964) Definition of Authoritarian Regimes

5. Westminster (Majoritarian)
Model of Democracy
Consensual
Model of Democracy
Concentration of Power
One-Party, Bare Majority
Cabinet
Power-Sharing Coalition
Executive-Legislative
Relations
Strong Cabinet Durability
Less Durable Executive
Cabinets
Party System Two-Party Multiparty
Party Differentiation One-Dimensional Parties Multidimensional Parties
Method of Election Plurality Proportional Representation
Government Structure Unitary-Centralized Federal-Decentralized
Legislative Structure Unicameral Bicameral
Type of Constitution Unwritten Rigid
Type of Democracy Exclusively Representative Exclusively Direct
Majoritarian vs. Consensual Democracies

6. Plurality Systems (First-Past-the-Post)
• Winning an election entails getting the most
number of votes among candidates running.
Variations:
1. Bloc Vote
2. Cumulative Vote
3. Limited Vote
4. Single Nontransferable Vote

7. Majority Systems
• Winning an election entails getting more than half
(i.e. 50% + 1) of votes cast.
Variations:
1. Majority-runoff
2. Majority-plurality
3. Alternative Vote

8. Proportional Representation
• Seats in government are allocated in such a way
that parties are represented in exact (or near
exact) proportion to the vote they polled.
Variations:
1. List
2. Electoral Formula
3. Threshold
4. Single Transferable Vote