TWO ‘VISIONS’, ONE DEMOCRACY: DO ‘MAJORITARIANISM ’ AND ‘PROPORTIONALITY’ SIMULTANEOUSLY GUIDE DEMOCRATIC

Democracy is supposed to effect the popular will. But is this best expressed by the party with the largest vote or by compromise among all parties? Median-sensitive ‘proportionality’ as opposed to plurality-based ‘majoritarianism ’ has been seen as distinguishing ‘proportional democracies ’ from ‘majoritarian democracies’. Both however have representational claims which can be made within any one democracy. Dilemmas about which ‘vision ’ to follow are in practice eased by joint participation of plurality and median parties in government – but even more by their policy preferences generally pointing in the same direction anyway, facilitating a common response in terms of government policy. This article examines policy relationships between plurality parties, median parties and governments inside 16 post-war democracies, uncovering practical bases for accommodation between ‘majoritarian ’ and ‘proportional ’ visions.