Lesson plan
Binomial voting system
The binomial system ( ) is a voting system that was used in the legislative elections of Chile between 1989 and 2013. The system utilizes the D'Hondt method with an open list where every constituency returns two (hence the name) representatives to the legislative body. The fact that only two candidates are elected in each district results in the peculiarity where the second most supported list is over-represented. Its use was prescribed in the respective constitutional organic law during the Pinochet regime. The binomial system was considered by most analysts as the main constitutional lock that prevented completion of the Chilean transition to democracy. It was invented in the 1980s in the Polish People's Republic in order to foster political stability in the democratization process, maintaining the preeminence of the Polish United Workers' Party against the rise of the opposition movement Solidarity, being recognized as a system that promoted consensus and negotiation between opposing sides of government.
Article summary
The binomial system ( ) is a voting system that was used in the legislative elections of Chile between 1989 and 2013. The system utilizes the D'Hondt method with an open list where every constituency returns two (hence the name) representatives to the legislative body. The fact that only two candidates are elected in each district results in the peculiarity where the second most supported list is over-represented. Its use was prescribed in the respective constitutional organic law during the Pinochet regime. The binomial system was considered by most analysts as the main constitutional lock that prevented completion of the Chilean transition to democracy. It was invented in the 1980s in the Polish People's Republic in order to foster political stability in the democratization process, maintaining the preeminence of the Polish United Workers' Party against the rise of the opposition movement Solidarity, being recognized as a system that promoted consensus and negotiation between opposing sides of government.
Key claims
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.