Degressive proportionality

Aleksandra Ludwiniak, Aleksandra Wojsz Uniwersytet Warszawski

Degressive proportionality is a intermediary solution between equality and proportionality.

Aleksandra Ludwiniak, Aleksandra Wojsz Uniwersytet Warszawski How it works?

● division of seats into subunits in the decision-making body

● a distribution in which a larger individual is entitled to a greater number of

seats than a smaller one

● there is no one specific election rule, there are several different degressive

methods

Aleksandra Ludwiniak, Aleksandra Wojsz Uniwersytet Warszawski Measures of degressive proportionality

Aleksandra Ludwiniak, Aleksandra Wojsz Uniwersytet Warszawski source: Piotr Dniestrzański : Proposal for measure of degressive proportionality, 2013 Aleksandra Ludwiniak, Aleksandra Wojsz Uniwersytet Warszawski Boundary measure

● is based solely on boundary conditions of a given allocation

Aleksandra Ludwiniak, Aleksandra Wojsz Uniwersytet Warszawski The second way to measure the degression of a distribution

● is based on the value of the expression

Aleksandra Ludwiniak, Aleksandra Wojsz Uniwersytet Warszawski Another possibility of construction of the measure of degressive proportionality

source: Piotr Dniestrzański : Proposal for measure of degressive proportionality, 2013 Aleksandra Ludwiniak, Aleksandra Wojsz Uniwersytet Warszawski Newly proposed measure for degressive proportionality

● Let us introduce the following designations:

● It has been therefore proposed that for the measure of degression

of allocation S = (s1, s2,..., sn) respect to the sequence P = (p1, p2,..., pn) use

the following value:

Aleksandra Ludwiniak, Aleksandra Wojsz Uniwersytet Warszawski Sainte-Laguë method

● is a highest quotient method for allocating seats in party-list proportional

representation used in many voting systems

● is used in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iraq, Kosovo, , New Zealand, Norway

and

Aleksandra Ludwiniak, Aleksandra Wojsz Uniwersytet Warszawski Sainte-Laguë method DESCRIPTION OF THE METHOD

● After all the votes have been tallied, successive quotients are calculated for each party. The formula for the quotient is: Where: - V is the total number of votes that party received - s is the number of seats that have been allocated so far to that party, initially 0 for all parties

Aleksandra Ludwiniak, Aleksandra Wojsz Uniwersytet

Warszawski

Sainte-Laguë method - example ● We have parties A, B and C, which were elected with 720, 300 and 480 votes, and there are 8 seats to be filled. ● 1st step: calculating quotients ● 2nd step: arranging the quotients in descending

Divider Party A Party B Party C order (party in brackets):

1 – 720 (A) 1 720 300 480 2 – 480 (C) 3 – 300 (B) 3 240 100 160 4 – 240 (A) 5 – 160 (C)

5 144 60 96 6 – 144 (A) 7 – 103 (A) 7 103 42 69 8 – 100 (B)

Aleksandra Ludwiniak, Aleksandra Wojsz Uniwersytet Warszawski The Penrose method/ Square - root method

● is a method devised for allocating the voting weights of delegations in

decision-making bodies proportional to the square root of the population

represented by this delegation

● is not currently being used for any notable decision-making body

Aleksandra Ludwiniak, Aleksandra Wojsz Uniwersytet Warszawski Advantages ● Reducing the probability of dominance by the largest sub-units. ● No region is left out, even if the principle of proportionality says that its

inhabitants should have nothing to say.

● Increasing decision-making capacity for smaller suborganisms. If their

interests are taken into account, the threat of secession will decrease.

Aleksandra Ludwiniak, Aleksandra Wojsz Uniwersytet Warszawski Disadvantages

● GERRYMANDERING - There is a possibility that someone will want to use

the principle of degressive proportionality for the purpose of political

manipulation.

● The subdivision system is not perfect ... People may riot on the grounds

that a subdivision should not exist

Aleksandra Ludwiniak, Aleksandra Wojsz Uniwersytet Warszawski Uses

Bundesrat of → Each state has three to six seats

European Parliament → Negotiations, no specific formula, only MINIMUM seats

Spain Congress of Deputies → two extra seats to proportional number

Aleksandra Ludwiniak, Aleksandra Wojsz Uniwersytet Warszawski Uses US presidental Electoral College → minimum of three member of seats

https://www.rp.pl/Prezydent--USA/201109820-Wybory-w-USA-Donald-Trump-czy-Joe-Biden---relacja-na-zywo.htm STAN NA DZIEŃ 11.11.2020l Aleksandra Ludwiniak, Aleksandra Wojsz Uniwersytet Warszawski

Sources

● Jacek Haman : THE CONCEPT OF DEGRESSIVE AND PROGRESSIVE PROPORTIONALITY AND ITS NORMATIVE AND DESCRIPTIVE APPLICATIONS, 2017

● Piotr Dniestrzański : Proposal for measure of degressive proportionality, 2013

● https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/IDAN/2017/583117/IPOL_ID A%282017%29583117_EN.pdf

Aleksandra Ludwiniak, Aleksandra Wojsz Uniwersytet Warszawski

Thank you for your attention!

Aleksandra Ludwiniak, Aleksandra Wojsz Uniwersytet Warszawski