Term
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Definition
an election in which voters choose directly whether a particular proposal will become law; this contrasts with other kinds of elections in which voters choose among various candidates for a political office
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Term
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Definition
a set of rules by which the outcomes of an election (a set of officers elected or whatever) is determined from the distribution of votes cast by the electorate
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Term
single-member-district electoral system (SMDP)
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Definition
an electoral system in which the state is divided into geographic subdivisions, each subdivision is represented by a single member in the legislature, and the candidate who attains a plurality of votes in that subdivision is the one who fills the seat
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Term
proportional representation electoral system (PR)
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Definition
an electoral system in which parties receive a number of seats in the legislature roughly proportional to the number of votes that were cast for them among the electorate
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Term
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Definition
the paradox that no one should vote if their only reason for voting is that they wish to help their favored candidate win. The odds that the rest of the voters will produce a tie are incredibly small, and that is the only circumstance in which the person’s vote will make any difference to the candidate
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Term
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Definition
a personal identification with a political party; not just agreement with its politices or candidates of the moment but an enduring identification with the party itself
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