Australian electoral system: Difference between revisions
Describe the correct reason for the two-party system in Australia
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=== Reasons for the continuation of the major party duopoly ===
The major reason that Australia has a two-party system is that the House is elected by electoral division. To win an electoral division (also called seats, electorates, or constituencies), a candidate must gather 50% of the preferences of the voters in that electorate, after redistribution of preferences from eliminated candidates. This leads to minority parties not winning seats, as, although there may be a large total number of first-preference voters for the minority party, they are distributed among the divisions, and do not gain a majority of preferences in any particular seat.
The reasons why minor parties are underrepresented in the Australian HoR are:▼
The system of electoral division means that a party can win a majority of seats without enjoying a majority of voter support, if the "majority party by voters" voters are many in number in a few electorates, and few in number in the majority of electorates. Moreover, losing ballots in each electorate have no affect on the composition of the House of Representatives. When done purposely, this phenomenon is known as [[Gerrymandering]]. Thankfully Australia sees little true Gerrymandering, as division boundaries are directed by the independent Australian Electoral Commission.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/Practice7/HTML/Chapter3/Electoral_divisions|title=Electoral divisions|website=Parliament of Australia|url-status=live}}</ref> To remedy this issue, an electoral system that guarantees a measure of [[Proportional Representation|proportional representation]] has to be used.
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# They don't represent all that many people, not enough to get them over the line in PV.
# They are not trusted enough to form an effective government, they are popularly thought of as idealistic and not practical.
# They are often perceived as being 'one issue parties' with narrow agendas, such as 'the environment', 'lower fuel and beer excise' and 'nuclear disarmament'. Such Parties in Australia have such imaginative names as 'Citizen's Electoral Council', 'Fishing Party' and 'Family First'.
== Compulsory voting in Australia ==
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