Two-party System and Electoral System in Australia Liberal Democracy - Essay Writing Assessment Answers

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Introduction

Globally, many nations are governed under a system where two parties dominate the parliamentary seats. The precise definition of two-party system is where the main political parties control the government. One of the parties usually embraces a majority in the parliament and is normally referred to as the governing or the majority party while the other is the minority or opposition party. Worldwide the term is applied differently for example in Australia, United States, Malt, Jamaica, the idea of the two-party system elaborate the arrangement in which almost all the elected members are from one of the only two main parties, and the third party hardly wins any seat in the parliament.

It is vital to understand what electoral system is, the term is used to refer to every specific directory of customs and procedures used in making a decision while determining the right people to hold the positions in the government to avoid conflicts. The election can be viewed from two separate perspectives: the one is the connection in separate levels of the government in which a nation is divided. These levels are national, local or state level (Schmidt, 2008). At the ranks, several authorities are nominated under the distinct system. Some of the factors that can be considered included the characteristics of the state, either federal or unitary and the parliamentary system (bicameral or unicameral). Another crucial distinction is the one connected to the truth that the position may be in conflict with multi or a single member. This paper outlines the two-partyelectro system of Australia.

Australian electoral system

The electoral system of Australia has advanced over one hundred and fifty years of independent government inclusive of the Australian legislature (Ahmed, 2013). Nowadays federal parliament has different characteristic encompassing compulsory election amidst majority-preferential voting in one member seat to elect the house of representatives, lower house and apply the conveyable proportion voting to elect the upper house and the senate.

Over years, changes in the system have been aimed at the provision of the finest possible system of voting. Australian has engrossed on three kinds of voting system:

Plurality systems are the easiest system. With this case, the winner is always the candidate with plurality votes. Though not a must be a complete majority of votes. Such system takes in first past the vote and the block vote and both have been applied in Australia.

Majority system is based on the ability of a candidate to certify a complete majority of the vote. The contingent vote and second ballot have been applied in Australia (Rodney, 2004). The well known and widely applied in Australia is the preferential voting system.

The initial Australian election

The initial Australian legislative election was held in 1843 for the very New South Wales parliamentary council, an institution whose member had earlier been appointed. The parliamentary council had been increased, with twenty-four of its thirty-six members to be elected. The system was applied first Past the Post, where the elected candidate was the one who gained more votes. Voting was held in the distinct electorate, with initial one being held at Sidney.

In the year 1851, the initial election took place in Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, similarly for the legislative council. By 1860 the accomplishment of what eventually became to be known the responsible government had been evidenced happening at the lower house of parliament, South Australia(1856),Victoria(1856)New South Wales(1856) Queensland(1860) and Tasmania(1860). The election in lower in Western Australia was not held until 1960. In 1856 the pre-election were conducted through acclamation where the voters were to raise their hand and decisions were made there. The initial secret ballot happened in South Australia, Tasmania, and Victoria in 1856.later Queensland and New South Wales 1858 and 1860 subsequently. It was first applied in Western Australia with the First Past the Post system (Farrell, 2011). Not a single person a single state used this system of the election but replaced it with another distinct system. They were equally overwhelmed by the proportional representation, formulated by Thomas Hare of Britain in the mid-nineteenth century. This was vital as all the minority voices would be represented both in a regional or national legislative.

The more effectual inspiration for the changes of the electoral system has been political computation, which could inspire by the dire desire to boost or safeguard one’s own position or to impose damage upon one's opponent. An example was the conservative parties’ major reasons for initiating the preferential voting earlier to the 1919 commonwealth election, and the ALP government supporting noncompulsory preferential voting in Queensland and New South Wales.

The various electoral adjustments was to be made because of the existing problem, something that happened twice in connection to senate elections. The need for changes was as a result of the application of Block vote and Preferential Voting. Both granted an unproportioned number of the seats to the party that won a majority of states vote. Both were substituted in an effort to eliminate this problem.

Preferential Voting

This type of system is widely used in Australia especially in its lower house election. In Australia election use compulsory preferential voting, some use non-compulsory preferential voting.

Full preferential voting

This system was mostly used in a single-member electorate (David & Farrel, 2006). In this system, there is a slight variation in the variation in the laws all-around the nation. For example, the names of the candidates are placed in column on the ballot papers, the voters are required to mark the number 1 contrary to the name of the votes chosen and preferencing must be sustained to the point where every single box should encompass a number.

A single count

A candidate acquires more than fifty percent of number one vote. That candidate is affirmed elected. This happened in commonwealth electorate of Bradfield n 2004.

More than one count

Moreover, in many situations no single candidate receives more than fifty percent of first favorite. If this fails to happen the following process is followed:

• Candidate with the least vote is omitted from the count
• This candidate's votes are moved to the other candidate votes rendering to the second preferencing revealed on the omitted candidate.

If this procedure fails to work, then excluding of the candidate takes place until when one candidate achieves more than half of the votes.

Political results of the compulsory preferential voting

Favoring the main parties

For one to win a representative seat an individual needs to gain 1 vote more than fifty percent during the first preferential votes or amalgamation of first preference and preference acquired from other candidates. This is in favor of major parties and ignores the minority parties.

Preferential voting whether optional or full gives an unequal advantage to the big parties. Owing to the size of votes required to challenge for a seat.

Wrong results

An obstacle with election performed in single-member electorates is that sometimes it is possible for a party to acquire a majority of the first favorite may have a majority vote and fails to win the government. A party may have its vote concentrated in one region while its opponent has votes equally distributed across nations.

Optional preferential voting

Over many years, Labor party has always been disadvantaged by the prerequisite that voters offer a full set of preference in the house of representative and several state election. This occasionally to place during 1950-1960s when Labor was frustrated by the effect of DLP preference.

Some political effect resulting from optional preferential voting

Fewer voters

In this case, the winning candidate has to receive fewer than the votes remaining the count. This is because some votes are being removed or exhausted the count.

Reducing the significance of the preference

During the 2004 and 2007, Queensland election the labor party requested its supporter to just vote one. In other words, it requested its supporter to give the party their first favorite. With no favor offered to another candidate. Looking for to take advantage of the optional feature of preference provision in this way, Labor looked at reducing the effect of an interchange of preference that might frustrate the Beattie government.

Overview of the two-party system

Australia is governed under the two-party system where the majority of the votes emanate from these major parties. In this case, the minority party wins nothing. The two –parties are believed to result from several factors that include the winners take all election laws. In such kind of system, the third party has minimal chances of winning election to any opportunity in a major office.

The major two political groups govern Australian political field, forming a two party system.one of it is the Australian Labor Party which is in the connection with the Australian Labor association. It was formed in 1893 and has been a major party ever since 1901 federal election.

The one is a conservative alliance of parties that are in partnership at the federal level, as well as in Victoria and New South Wales but compete in South Australia and Western Australia (Gillepsie, 2012). The major party in this association is the liberal party.

Every elected prime minister of Australia since 1910, has been either a member of Liberal party or Labor party.

The national party, a party that looks at the minority interests, especially agriculturist, supports the labor party. Apart from the two major party, there exists another party, which is of particular importance in the political system, the Green party.

Minor part plays a significant role in Australia in that it stress on the socio-economic that often occur under the influence of the dominating party . The minor party plays a vital always especial owing to the compulsory preferential voting system, this ensures that minor party supporters come out and vote. The green party plays a role in balancing the power of the senate.

The two- party system is essential to the government of Australia it present readily comprehensible political information to the voters in an efficient manner .therefore the two-party system offer orders to the political globe the large political ideologies of the party. Secondly, this kind of system offers a steady balance by accommodating the diverse opinions and interests. As every party comprises of organized association and person voters.

Conclusion

The two political party systems is a major system that dominates the world veto nations. This kind of system has favored both the ideology of the minority and majority. Apart from the major parties some other parties comes in to link the minority with the federal government. Australia is a country that has evidenced this type of system with ideal electoral system that gives citizen equal rights to make their own decision. Making this nation democratic. In Australia political party are distributed in all nations. Where party member come up with ideas for party policies