Election system in Italy

By Federica Brusa Diletta Muccilli

Systems used in Italy

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 small parties% which loc' the others throu!h "etos% and the country is "ery difficult to !o"ern.

It was chan!ed ecause in Italy the alternation of the !o"ernment etween ma(ority and opposition has ne"er occurred) *hristian Democracy was always in the centre of the political system. &o people tal' a out a period of # loc'ed democracy$% which fa"oured corruption and the increase of the pu lic spendin!.

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 1-2 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 sta ility% ut it is confused and small parties must ally to reach the ma(ority% ut then they must split up to o tain the seats assi!ned with the proportional system. It was chan!ed ecause of Berlusconi3s !o"ernment.

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. 4ccordin! to this law% e"ery coalition presents a list of candidates 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 has to recei"e the 1,2 of the "otes/ and first passed to post systems .the party which o tains more "otes recei"es some e0tra seats/.

In the 5arliament the seats are assi!ned on an electoral re!ional district6 in the &enate on a national one. It wor's well ecause it reduces the num er of parties and assures a ma(ority !o"ernment% ut it doesn3t respect correctly the people3s will.

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 senators of a state/$ throu!h a ma(ority system called #winner ta'es all$. The candidate who has more "otes ta'es all the i! electors of that state% with the e0ception of 8e ras'a and Maine 9 they use a proportional system. The candidate who is "oted y more than +1, # i! electors$ is the 5resident.

:ith this system it could e possi le that a president is elected e"en if he doesn3t ha"e the popular ma(ority ecause the "otes of the citi7ens don3t count much. This system disad"anta!es candidates who ha"e a lar!e consensus focused in (ust some states.

Possible electoral systems options

There are two main different electoral systems) the proportional system and the ma(ority system. They can e com ined to ha"e a mi0ed system.

Proportional system
The electors "ote for a party or for a candidate associated to it. The "otes o tained y each party are summed up and a proportional num er 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.

Majority system
4ccordin! to this system% the party which o tains the ma(ority of "otes .it can e a solute or simple/ !o"ern. This system tries to reduce the num er 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. <estriction system) accordin! to this system% the parties with less than a certain percenta!e of "otes .in Italy 42/ are not allowed to !o"ern. First passed to post system) the party which o tains the ma(ority is !i"e a num er of e0tra seats. &o the simple ma(ority ecomes an a solute ma(ority.

Both restriction ad first passed the post system are used in the actual electoral system in Italy. The use of these three different possi ilities creates "ariations in the electoral systems. For e0ample% in France is used a ma(ority system with dou le turn) so they use an a solute ma(ority.

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 o tain 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 it3s more democratic and it represents etter the ideas of the Italian citi7ens. But in our current situation it3s etter to use a ma(ority system% ecause there3ll e a stron!est !o"ernment that can sol"e the crisis and pay off our pu lic de t.

Proposal for specific groups

oreigners

4ccordin! to Maastricht a!reement% ;= citi7ens who li"e in Italy ha"e the ri!ht to "ote at town hall elections. 8ow there3s a discussion a out 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.

Prisoners

The prisoners who are waitin! their (ud!ment or ha"e committed o structi"e crimes can "ote in our elections% e"en if lots of them a stain 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 may e will ma'e some laws a out thin!s that interest them% li'e crime or prisons.

Italians li!ing abroad

&ince 1999% Italians li"in! a road can "ote from the country where they are li"in!. &ince +,,6% there are 1+ deputes and 6 senators representin! Italians li"in! a road. :e thin' that it is correct ecause they are still Italian citi7ens 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!.

People !oting from "#

The Fi"e>&tars mo"ement as'ed lots of time to chan!e the "otin! a!e to 16 ecause it hoped to ha"e more "otes from youn! people. :e thin' that this isn3t a !ood idea ecause 16 years old people don3t follow the politics and they are really !ulli le% so may e they will choose to "ote the candidate who their parents or their older friends "ote.

unding for political parties

Fundin! for political parties are su sidies paid y the !o"ernment directly to a political party to fund its political acti"ities. Most democracies pro"ide funds from ta0payers? money. 8owadays there is a discussion in Italy a out this @uestion) where should this money come fromA There are many possi ilities)

the situation can stay the same% so the parties recei"e pu lic money% 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 =&4 the parties can fund themsel"es li'e normal a!encies do% for e0ample sellin! !ad!ets or oo's the mem ers elected of a party can fund it with a part of their .or the total/ salary.

In our opinion it?s not fair that parties !et pu lic money% ecause the money comin! from ta0es should e addressed to impro"e pu lic 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 salary from the party .elected mem ers/ in"ests in it.

Abstentionism
;"en if "otin! is a ci"il duty% a stentionism is "ery common in Italy and in other countries. Blan' or null "otes are 'inds of a stention and today in Italy (ust the 1-2 of "otes are "alid. Both forms .a stention and lan' "ote/ may e considered to e protest "ote. 4ccordin! to <o ert?s <ules of Brder% "oters who a stain are not counted. 4 stentionism is a pro lem that must e sol"ed. Many people do not "ote ecause they donCt feel ade@uately informed a out elections) in our opinion more propa!anda and information would e a !ood solution.

4nother pro lem is the short time in which people must "ote) two days for a whole country is not enou!h. May e a lon!er period to "ote and more pollin! stations could reduce the a stentionism. 4lso the possi ility 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.