Within a democracy, the voter has a say and the outcome leads to a representative delegation in the chamber. The opinions of citizens in combination with political election manifestos often create a preference for a limited number of parties. However, if there are two favorites, one can choose strategically or vote to the detriment of the small parties. Is it good that people are voting this way or will they be disappointed?
Choose strategically
- What does strategic choosing entail?
- Influence of the news
- Small parties are left behind
- What is ticket exchange?
- Better not to
- The reality
- The political settlement
What does strategic choosing entail?
If one major party is ahead of the other, this information can result in a change in voting behavior. People prefer one party over the other, resulting in a choice only between those two parties. Small parties are usually the victims of this. There is a chance that only two very large parties will remain and the small parties will have virtually little say. Is it therefore wise to make such a choice?
Influence of the news
What is the forecast for the elections and where are they likely to go? The news cleverly responds to what is going on in the country. Every day one can see how many voters have switched parties and how many still have the potential to change. This transparency can persuade citizens to make a choice other than their primary political preference. People prefer to have one party in power instead of the other! In addition, there is also the chance that citizens will be manipulated by information to force a different choice. This also potentially poses a threat to the democratic process.
Small parties are left behind
Political elections are a race against time. As soon as the parties get back on the road, the election battle starts. If two parties are fighting for the best position and they are quite close to each other, voters can be drawn away from other parties. It can be compared to the sucking effect of small parties to fill the larger ones. This means that the smallest parties may no longer have a right to exist or that they may be relatively underrepresented. The law of the strongest therefore erodes the power and control of small parties.
What is ticket exchange?
Both parties often have a series of demands and wishes that need to be negotiated. The risk here is when the two parties make an exchange of wishes. If you get this then I want it. Decisions about this can be made quickly, but the consequences can be significant. Politics means that the national interest is represented in a balanced manner, so that the interests of the citizen are promoted. The primary task is to put the budget in order in order to achieve a healthy economy. If ticket exchange is used, important decisions are practically not charged. Focusing blindly on which ticket is now being received seems to be very bad for the overall interest.
Better not to
If two parties jointly obtain a majority of the total votes, there is a chance that they will govern together. This means that there is a limited vision regarding policy, resulting in unilateral decisions being made. Decisions made by only two parties are pushed through in order to achieve results quickly. The problem here is a limited democratic variety. This is especially the case when it comes to the exchange of cards, where a handshake determines the results. If citizens are less guided by the prospects and choose the best political trend, the chance of a varied cabinet increases. A cabinet consisting of more than two parties can ensure that the interests of the citizen are better represented. It ensures more diversity and concrete consultation instead of ill-considered political policy.
The reality
Citizens are bombarded with information every day, which can change their opinion from day to day. Many people therefore fall into the group of floating voters. Yet the group of switchers with a strategic choice is increasing. The regular supply of information about the forecast tempts citizens to vote differently. However, people may end up disappointed because the small parties are put aside.
The political settlement
How successful a cabinet will be depends on what has been achieved during a government period. People are held accountable for mistakes and political positions can change. Those who have made a strategic choice may not do so again a second time. Failing policy can therefore lead to a major setback of the two largest parties after a term of government.
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