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Democracy·Legitimacy·Equity

Posted on:2005-11-23Degree:MasterType:Thesis
Country:ChinaCandidate:J J JiangFull Text:PDF
GTID:2166360155457818Subject:Administrative Management
Abstract/Summary:PDF Full Text Request
Democracy seems to be the most commonly shared value system in today's political world. However, democracy is not merely a slogan. This author argues that to achieve democracy, not only democratic ideas and principles have to be established, but a whole set of practical institutions and technical devices has to be designed accordingly. Among such devices, the electoral system, which has made possible the implementation and popularization of horizontal democracy and is the jumping-off point of the vertical democracy, is the most important of all. Starting from the operational aspect of democracy and taking into account of the development of the various electoral systems, the author tries to compare these systems in both their present-day forms and what they appeared in the past?, and analyze their merits and weaknesses and what they mean to today's democratic practice. Based on these findings, this author attempts to put some insights into the designing of future electoral systems.In order to facilitate analysis, micro-structural functionalism (namely medium-sized level theory) is taken by the author as the main method of study. Because such theory tends to emphasize on the present-day status and disregard the continuity of development, the author stresses that the shaping of an electoral system is a process as opposed to a single action of designing.Historical material is also used to describe the electoral systems that have been introduced into China at times.
Keywords/Search Tags:electoral system, electoral district, single-winner system, multi-winner system, mixed system
PDF Full Text Request
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