by the system must be weighed in assessing such systems, alongside
the links to constituencies and the proportionality of the legislature.
To some degree the assessment of electoral systems must depend
upon current political circumstances and the political preferences of
the assessor.
In the abstract the preferred solution might be to achieve rough
proportionality and a specific link between each voter and an elected
representative with area constituencies (perhaps of four or five
members) elected by single transferable vote. This is the Irish system
also favoured by the British Liberal Democrats. However, it is worth
stressing that a major consideration in ‘electoral engineering’ should
be the political credibility of the system with the electorate as a
whole. A simple long-established system, which is widely accepted,
should only be sacrificed for an overwhelming advantage. An
incomprehensible and complicated system, seen as unnecessarily
favouring the political forces that recently initiated it, would be a
poor exchange for such a system even if it were technically superior
in the sense of being more proportional.
The electoral system is at the heart of the credibility (legitimacy)
of modern democracies, so that it is important to try to establish as
broad a consensus as possible about the system employed. Such
situations as occurred in post-war France in which major changes of
government bring about a consequent change in the electoral system
are liable to breed cynicism and apathy on the part of the electorate
(Campbell, 1965).
It may be helpful to clarify some of the terminology relating to
political institutions which we have been employing in this and the
preceding chapter. In particular some further discussion of each of
three arms of government – executive, legislative and judicial – seems
desirable.
The executive
The executive, in the broad sense, includes the head of state, the
political members of the government and the civil servants who staff
the offices of state. It not only enforces the laws, but also proposes
changes in them to the legislature and conducts foreign relations.
Less formally the executive must often act to symbolise the unity of
the country and provide leadership within the political system.
DEMOCRACY 175