Election System in Italy (2)

8/12/2019 Election System in Italy (2)

1/19

Election system

in Italy

ByFederica Brusa

Diletta Muccilli


2/19

Proportional system

This system was used in Italy from 1946 to 1993.

It represents reality etter and !i"es a !ood

#photo!raphy$ of the different political currents%

ut it facilitates the creation of a political

fra!mentation. &o there are lots of different smallparties% which loc' the others throu!h "etos%

and the country is "ery difficult to !o"ern.

Systems used in Italy


3/19

It was chan!ed ecause in Italy the alternation

of the !o"ernment etween ma(ority and

opposition has ne"er occurred) *hristianDemocracy was always in the centre of the

political system. &o people tal' aout a period

of #loc'ed democracy$% which fa"oured

corruption and the increase of the pulic

spendin!.


4/19

Mixed system

This system was used in Italy from 1993 to +,,-.

Throu!h two referendums in 1991 and 1993/ the electoral

law was chan!ed. The new electoral law #Mattarellum$

introduced this mi0ed system) the -2 of the seats are

assi!ned with the ma(ority system with electoral colle!es% the

+-2 with the proportional system.

It simplifies the party system and !uarantees more staility%

ut it is confused and small parties must ally to reach the

ma(ority% ut then they must split up to otain the seats

assi!ned with the proportional system.

It was chan!ed ecause of Berlusconis !o"ernment.


5/19

Current electoral system

This system is used in Italy since +,,- and is still in

force.

This system was introduced with the Calderoli law%

also called #Porcellum$ law.

ccordin! to this law% e"ery coalition presents a list ofcandidates from different parties. The electors can (ust

"ote for the list and not for a specific candidate% so the

lists are #loc'ed$. The "otes are summed up and the

seats are assi!ned throu!h restriction a coalition hasto recei"e the 1,2 of the "otes/ and first passed to

post systems the party which otains more "otes

recei"es some e0tra seats/.


6/19

In the 5arliament the

seats are assi!ned onan electoral re!ional

district in the &enate on

a national one.

It wor's well ecause it

reduces the numer of

parties and assures a

ma(ority !o"ernment% utit doesnt respect

correctly the peoples

will.


7/19

Electoral system in the USA

The electoral system is indirect and uses electoral

colle!es.

The citi7ens of e"ery sin!le state "ote for a candidate

associated to a !roup of #i! electors deputes and senatorsof a state/$ throu!h a ma(ority system called #winner ta'es

all$. The candidate who has more "otes ta'es all the i!

electors of that state% with the e0ception of 8eras'a and

Maine they use a proportional system.

The candidate who is "oted y more than +, #i! electors$

is the 5resident.


8/19

:ith this system it could e possile that a president is

elected e"en if he doesnt ha"e the popular ma(ority

ecause the "otes of the citi7ens dont count much.

This system disad"anta!es candidates who ha"e a lar!econsensus focused in (ust some states.


9/19

Possible electoral systems options

There are two main different electoral systems) the

proportional system and the ma(ority system. They can e

comined to ha"e a mi0ed system.

Proportional system

The electors "ote for a party or for a candidate associated to

it. The "otes otained y each party are summed up and aproportional numer of seats is !i"en to the party.

This system is really democratic ecause it represents reality

etter% ut the country is more difficult to !o"ern ecause there

are too many parties.


10/19

Majority system

ccordin! to this system% the party which otains the ma(ority of "otes it can e

asolute or simple/ !o"ern.

This system tries to reduce the numer of parties and facilitate the e0istence of a

ma(ority in three different ways) usin! three different ways)

;lectoral colle!es) the country is di"ided into colle!es and e"ery colle!e is

!i"en one seat. Today this system e0ists no more in Italy ecause the

5orcellum law has eliminated it.


11/19

Our proposal for Italy

In our opinion% the est electoral system for Italy is the proportional

system with some chan!es.

:e thin' that the restriction system should e used) a party must

otain a certain percenta!e of "otes to !o"ern. In this way there

would e less parties ecause the little ones cannot !o"ern.

:e prefer this system ecause its more democratic and it

represents etter the ideas of the Italian citi7ens.

But in our current situation its etter to use a ma(ority system%

ecause therell e a stron!est !o"ernment that can sol"e the crisis

and pay off our pulic det.


12/19

Proposal for specific groups

oreigners

ccordin! to Maastricht a!reement% ;= citi7ens

who li"e in Italy ha"e the ri!ht to "ote at town hallelections. 8ow theres a discussion aout

e0pandin! this ri!ht to all the non>;= citi7ens who

wor' and li"e since - years in Italy.

:e thin' that if these people pay ta0es% use our

ser"ices and wor' here% they should decide who

are their representati"es and so "ote.


13/19

Prisoners

The prisoners who are waitin! their (ud!ment orha"e committed ostructi"e crimes can "ote in our

elections% e"en if lots of them astain from "otin!.

:e thin' that all the prisoners should decide who

are their representati"es ecause they are still

Italian citi7ens and these representati"es maye

will ma'e some laws aout thin!s that interest

them% li'e crime or prisons.


14/19

Italians li!ing abroad

&ince 1999% Italians li"in! aroad can "ote from thecountry where they are li"in!.

&ince +,,6% there are 1+ deputes and 6 senators

representin! Italians li"in! aroad.

:e thin' that it is correct ecause they are still Italianciti7ens so they must ha"e the same ri!hts and duties of

the Italian citi7ens who li"e here in Italy% ut they must

ha"e the means to 'now how is the political situation in

Italy efore "otin!.


15/19

People !oting from "#

The Fi"e>&tars mo"ement

as'ed lots of time to chan!ethe "otin! a!e to 16 ecause it

hoped to ha"e more "otes from

youn! people.

:e thin' that this isnt a !oodidea ecause 16 years old

people dont follow the politics

and they are really !ullile% so

maye they will choose to "otethe candidate who their parents

or their older friends "ote.


16/19

unding for political parties

Fundin! for political parties are susidies paid y the !o"ernment

directly to a political party to fund its political acti"ities. Mostdemocracies pro"ide funds from ta0payers? money. 8owadays

there is a discussion in Italy aout this @uestion) where should

this money come fromA There are many possiilities)

the situation can stay the same% so the parties recei"e pulicmoney% comin! from ta0es% to fund their acti"ities

the parties can !et money (ust from supporters% who ma'e

donations in fa"or of the party% li'e in the =&

the parties can fund themsel"es li'e normal a!encies do% for

e0ample sellin! !ad!ets or oo's

the memers elected of a party can fund it with a part of their

or the total/ salary.


17/19

In our opinion it?s not fair

that parties !et pulic

money% ecause themoney comin! from ta0es

should e addressed to

impro"e pulic ser"ices.

It?s important that parties

ma'e somethin! to fund

their acti"ities and it?s ri!ht

that who recei"es a salaryfrom the party elected

memers/ in"ests in it.


18/19

Abstentionism

;"en if "otin! is a ci"il duty% astentionism is "ery common in

Italy and in other countries. Blan' or null "otes are 'inds of

astention and today in Italy (ust the -2 of "otes are

"alid. Both forms astention and lan' "ote/ may e

considered to e protest "ote. ccordin! to


19/19

nother prolem is the short time in which people must

"ote) two days for a whole country is not enou!h. Maye a

lon!er period to "ote and more pollin! stations could

reduce the astentionism.

lso the possiility to "ote on Internet is a !ood idea%

especially for youn! people.

In our opinion% the introduction of sanctions for those who

don?t "ote is neither !ood nor useful% and with it the "ote

would e no more free and no more a ri!ht of the citi7ens.

Documents

Election System in Italy (2)