The delimitation of electoral districts is a fairly recent phenomenon, dating to the nineteenth century and the adoption of single-member districts in much of Europe1. When single-member districts were first endorsed by European democracies a little more than a century ago, they were viewed as providing fairer representation. Individuals--approximately equal numbers of individuals--would be represented rather than communities. Periodic delimitation was required to maintain districts of equal population.
The Movement Towards Single-Member Districts
At the beginning of the eighteenth century, representation was based on communities, not on the number of individuals or voters. Constituencies varied greatly in population. In England, for example, each county, borough, and university, regardless of size, had two representatives in the House of Commons. The composition of the House of Commons, and legislatures throughout Europe, reflected the view that communities or distinct categories of society--e.g., the clergy and the nobility--should be represented, not individuals or voters.
Beginning in the latter part of the eighteenth century, citizens began to demand a broadening of their franchise and fairer representation in the legislature. Single-member districts for the election of legislators was embraced by this movement as a means towards greater democracy. Not only would single-member districts ensure more equal representation for citizens, it was believed that they would produce a more representative legislature. Districts that were relatively equal in population would increase representation for the urban, working class and other traditionally under-represented groups.
In the eighteenth century, single-member districts were first adopted in the British colonies that later became the United States. During the nineteenth century, many European countries gradually followed suit. Denmark adopted single-member districts for elections to its lower chamber in 1849. A newly unified Italy chose single-member districts to elect representatives to the national legislature in 1861. The North German Confederation adopted single-member districts in 1867; Imperial Germany, in 1871. France has used single-member districts intermittently since 1875. Britain adopted single-member districts in 1885, and the Netherlands followed suit in 1887. Norway, one of the last European countries to adopt single-member districts, did so in 1905 when the country gained full independence.
Most of the remaining European countries that continued to use communities, rather than specially delimited electoral districts, for the election of representatives were the less progressive countries, such as Portugal or the Balkan states. Of the more modern European countries, only Switzerland and Belgium used multimember districts throughout the nineteenth century. Belgium used its nine historic provinces as boundaries for its multimember districts, but it recognised the principle of equal representation by varying the number of representatives assigned to a province. When proportional representation was adopted in Belgium in 1899, multimember districts based on provincial boundaries were retained.
In Switzerland, prior to 1848, each canton sent a single representative to the federal assembly. The constitution of 1848 provided for representation based on population; so in 1850, forty-nine electoral districts, or constituencies, were created. The boundaries of these constituencies went unchanged, however, for seventy years. In 1919, Switzerland adopted proportional representation. Since 1919, representatives have been elected from multimember districts that correspond to the canton boundaries.
The Advent of Proportional Representation
The trend towards single-member districts in Europe ebbed with the advent of proportional representation in the late nineteenth century. Between 1899, when Belgium adopted proportional representation, and 1921, when Norway moved to proportional representation, most of the continental European countries adopted one form of proportional representation or another.
Because multimember districts are used with systems of proportional representation, countries that have adopted such systems are no longer required to periodically redraw district boundaries. Instead, administrative divisions such as states, provinces, or counties can be used to elect representatives. Equality of population is achieved by varying the numbers of legislators elected from a district, rather than redrawing district lines. Today, the norm in Europe is multimember districts that correspond to administrative divisions and do not require periodic delimitation.
Conclusion
Although electoral systems that do not require the periodic delimitation of districts are the norm in Europe today, there are notable exceptions to this rule. The United Kingdom has retained single-member districts since adopting them in 1885. France has used single-member districts consistently since 1958, with the exception of a brief restoration of proportional representation in 1985 and 1986. Ireland and Malta, which have adopted proportional representation systems based on the single transferable vote, delimit multimember districts periodically.
Other countries in Europe, such as Germany and some of the newly emerging democracies in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, have adopted mixed electoral systems that include single-member districts. In addition, many countries in the rest of the world have chosen electoral systems that employ single-member districts, with or without a balance of seats elected through proportional representation. Clearly the delimitation of single-member districts is a practice that has not lost its appeal and will continue to be with us for some time to come.
