In many respects, the strongest arguments for Proportional Representation (PR) derive from the way in which the system avoids the anomalous results of plurality-majority systems, and facilitates a more representative legislature (see First Past the Post - Disadvantages). As a number of examples in the developing world in this book show, for many new democracies, particularly those facing deep societal divisions, the inclusion of all significant groups in the parliament can be a near-essential condition for democratic consolidation. Failing to ensure that both minorities and majorities have a stake in these nascent political systems can have catastrophic consequences (see South Africa case study South Africa: Election Systems and Conflict Management).
PR systems in general are praised for the reasons outlined below.
Faithfully Translate Votes Cast into Seats Won
PR systems avoid some of the more destabilizing and 'unfair' results thrown up by plurality-majority electoral systems. 'Seat bonuses' for the larger parties are reduced, and small parties can gain access to parliament without polling huge amounts of votes.
Create Few Wasted Votes
When thresholds are low, almost all votes cast within PR elections go towards electing a candidate of choice. This increases the voters' perception that it is worth making the trip to the polling booth at election time, as they can be more confident that their vote will make a difference to electoral outcomes, however small.
Facilitate Minority Parties' Access to Representation
Unless the threshold is unduly high, or the district magnitude is unusually low, any political party with even a few per cent electoral support should gain representation in the legislature. This fulfils the principle of inclusion, which can be crucial to stability in divided societies, and has benefits for decision-making in all democracies.
Allow Parties to Present Diverse Lists of Candidates
The incentive under List PR systems is to maximize the national vote, regardless of where those votes might come from. Every vote, even from an electorally weak area, goes towards filling another quota, and thus gaining another seat. While this point should not be overemphasized, the experience of South Africa suggests that List PR gives the political space which allows parties to put up multi-racial, and multi-ethnic, lists of candidates.
Encourage the Election of Minority Representatives
When, as is often the case, voting behaviour dovetails with a society's cultural or social divisions, then List PR electoral systems can help ensure that parliament includes members of both majority and minority groups. This is because parties can be encouraged by the system to craft balanced candidate lists, which appeal to a whole spectrum of voters' interests. For example, the South African National Assembly elected in 1994 was fifty-two percent black (eleven percent Zulu, the rest of Xhosa, Sotho, Venda, Tswana, Pedi, Swazi, Shangaan, and Ndebele extraction), thirty-two percent white (one-third English, two-thirds Afrikaans), seven percent Coloured and eight percent Indian. The Namibian parliament is similarly diverse, with representatives from the Ovambo, Damara, Herero, Nama, Baster, and white (English and German speaking) communities.
Make it More Likely that Women are Elected
PR electoral systems are often seen as more friendly to the election of women than plurality-majority systems. In essence, parties are able to use the lists to promote the advancement of women politicians, and allow the space for voters to elect women candidates without limiting their ability to vote with a mind on other concerns. As noted earlier, in single-member districts most parties are encouraged to put up a 'most broadly acceptable' candidate, and that person is seldom a woman. While much of the evidence for a link between PR and women's representation comes from Western democracies, there is some preliminary evidence to suggest that a similar pattern is being followed in new democracies, such as those in Africa (South Africa, Mozambique), and in Central and South America (Argentina, Brazil, and Costa Rica).
Restrict the Growth of 'Regional Fiefdoms'
Because PR systems reward minority parties with a minority of the seats, they are less likely to lead to situations where a single party holds all the seats in a given province or district.
Lead to More Efficient Government
It has been argued, in relation to established democracies, that governments elected by PR methods are more effective than those elected by First Past the Post (FPTP). The Western European experience suggests that parliamentary-PR systems score better with regard to governmental longevity, voter participation and economic performance. The rationale behind this claim is that regular switches in government between two ideologically polarized parties, as can happen in FPTP systems, makes long-term economic planning more difficult, while broad PR coalition governments help engender a stability and coherence in decision-making which allows for national development.
Make Power-Sharing More Visible
In many new democracies, power-sharing between the numerical majority of the population who hold political power and a small minority who hold economic power is an unavoidable reality. Where the numerical majority dominates parliament, negotiations between different power blocks are less visible, less transparent, and less accountable. It has been argued, in particular in Africa, that PR, by including all interests in parliament, offers a better hope that decisions are taken in the public eye, and by a more inclusive cross-section of the society.
