Jean-Paul Faguet

Yeah, so there are two separate issues here. One is a parliamentary system versus an American-style presidential system, and the other is a system of voting. So here, you know, compare the U.S. at one end to Britain in the middle to a continental European country on the other end, where they have proportional representation. The U.K.

Yeah, so there are two separate issues here. One is a parliamentary system versus an American-style presidential system, and the other is a system of voting. So here, you know, compare the U.S. at one end to Britain in the middle to a continental European country on the other end, where they have proportional representation. The U.K.

still has first-past-the-post, so in any constituency, like in the U.S., only one person is going to win that seat, and if you get, you know, 20% of the vote, you still lose the election and they elect somebody from one of the main two parties. So you're really penalized for being the third party. In Europe, you have proportional representation.

still has first-past-the-post, so in any constituency, like in the U.S., only one person is going to win that seat, and if you get, you know, 20% of the vote, you still lose the election and they elect somebody from one of the main two parties. So you're really penalized for being the third party. In Europe, you have proportional representation.

So if you win 10% of the vote, you're going to get 10% of parliament. And then, A, you're there. In the UK, the Liberal Democrats are nowhere. Well, they're not nowhere, but they're well below their... Actually, the better example is the recent right-wing Reform Party, which I don't like at all, of Nigel Farage, who won something like, I can't remember now, it's either 15 or 20% of the vote.

So if you win 10% of the vote, you're going to get 10% of parliament. And then, A, you're there. In the UK, the Liberal Democrats are nowhere. Well, they're not nowhere, but they're well below their... Actually, the better example is the recent right-wing Reform Party, which I don't like at all, of Nigel Farage, who won something like, I can't remember now, it's either 15 or 20% of the vote.

I think it was around 15% of the vote. And I think they only got one or two seats in parliament in a parliament of 600 plus seats, right? So, I mean, they won out of all proportion to their representation. Whereas in PR, then you win 10%, you have 10% of representation, you have a voice in parliament, and it's likely you're gonna be involved in some sort of coalition government.

I think it was around 15% of the vote. And I think they only got one or two seats in parliament in a parliament of 600 plus seats, right? So, I mean, they won out of all proportion to their representation. Whereas in PR, then you win 10%, you have 10% of representation, you have a voice in parliament, and it's likely you're gonna be involved in some sort of coalition government.

So the way political scientists think about this is that first past the post takes relatively small electoral majorities and turns them into big legislative majorities. Right. The Labour Party in this last election quite recently only won 35 or so percent of the vote, but they have a huge stonking majority. I mean, a vast majority in Parliament.

So the way political scientists think about this is that first past the post takes relatively small electoral majorities and turns them into big legislative majorities. Right. The Labour Party in this last election quite recently only won 35 or so percent of the vote, but they have a huge stonking majority. I mean, a vast majority in Parliament.

And so they can do all kinds of things and pass legislation. Walter Badgett, a constitutional thinker and one of the most important editors of The Economist magazine, called it an electoral dictatorship. Because there's so much power. It's interesting because it's much more powerful than the American executive, but it's also much more brittle and then it can fall. Right. Right.

And so they can do all kinds of things and pass legislation. Walter Badgett, a constitutional thinker and one of the most important editors of The Economist magazine, called it an electoral dictatorship. Because there's so much power. It's interesting because it's much more powerful than the American executive, but it's also much more brittle and then it can fall. Right. Right.

I mean, you've seen how many prime ministers cycled through just over the past couple of years in the UK. when there was one American president, right? But then each of those prime ministers could do things that are beyond the wildest dreams of an American president in terms of changing policy or passing legislation.

I mean, you've seen how many prime ministers cycled through just over the past couple of years in the UK. when there was one American president, right? But then each of those prime ministers could do things that are beyond the wildest dreams of an American president in terms of changing policy or passing legislation.

Yeah. Well, your parliamentarians can stop you if they start words. Let's say things are going badly. So let's just run the current experiment in the UK forward. And let's say that for whatever reason, Keir Starmer and the new government becomes unpopular in a couple of years time. Now, you know, they have a mandate for up to five years.

Yeah. Well, your parliamentarians can stop you if they start words. Let's say things are going badly. So let's just run the current experiment in the UK forward. And let's say that for whatever reason, Keir Starmer and the new government becomes unpopular in a couple of years time. Now, you know, they have a mandate for up to five years.

It's the prime minister can choose when he calls an election. And so he has the power to choose an election at the moment that is best for him or her. But in principle, it's up to five years. But let's say he gets very unpopular because he makes some dumb policies and or there are some macro shocks to do with the war in Ukraine or the economy or something along these lines.

It's the prime minister can choose when he calls an election. And so he has the power to choose an election at the moment that is best for him or her. But in principle, it's up to five years. But let's say he gets very unpopular because he makes some dumb policies and or there are some macro shocks to do with the war in Ukraine or the economy or something along these lines.

If his own parliamentarians start worrying that they're going to lose their seat by continuing to support his government, they're going to just turn against him. And so you saw this when the shoe was on the other foot with the Tories during all of the morass, the debacle with Brexit, debacle for the country, but also debacle for the Tory party that prosecuted it.

If his own parliamentarians start worrying that they're going to lose their seat by continuing to support his government, they're going to just turn against him. And so you saw this when the shoe was on the other foot with the Tories during all of the morass, the debacle with Brexit, debacle for the country, but also debacle for the Tory party that prosecuted it.