Defenders of the status quo argue that Proportional Representation leads to back room deals.
Proportional Representation
And it is indeed true that Proportional Representation forces political parties to compromise and work together in order to govern.
But those aren’t back room deals. Voters know it is going on and can see the results and understand why they happen.
If your party sells out its core values, you can express your displeasure by electing a different candidate who might actually represent you in the next election.
First Past The Post
The back room deals that are democratically worrisome are the ones that happen within big tent parties. Big tent parties are based on elaborate back room deals. Parties that used to have a recognizable ideology – something they actually stand for – merge with other parties, not because of shared valued, but because it is necessary if your party is going to be able to gain power.
The goings on in these back rooms are so mysterious and secretive that even MPs and party members don’t know which promises their party will even try to keep if they win an election. Such things are decided in back rooms.
Once in a while we can see how it really works.
Following the BRexit vote, the new UK PM Theresa May called a snap election intending to build stronger support for a “hard” BRexit, but in fact lost support resulting in a snap election. The deal she made with the extremist DUP to keep power horrified many Brits.
When no party won a majority in the recent British Columbia Election, then Premier Christy Clark was willing to throw everything her party stood for under the bus in order to retain power. Luckily the other BC Parties were able to reach a compromise.
These are the backroom deals we can all do without.
