![Sample our Politics & International Relations journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5947/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Politics-International-Relations.jpg"})
Abstract
Many young democracies make strenuous efforts, embodied in successive changes of their electoral laws, aimed at achieving a representative electoral system that does not hinder governability. Poland represents an illustrative example of such changes, with the implementation of a total of four electoral laws since 1991 to the present day. This paper serves to (a) explore the electoral changes implemented in Poland during recent years to detect the distortions produced, and to (b) present a proposal of amendment of the Polish electoral system based on biproportionality that corrects the previously identified deficiencies in representation. The results reveal that the proposed modification does not only maintain the positive levels of governability already achieved in Poland, but it also yields a more proportional system that is more equitable to small and medium parties.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to thank the editor and the anonymous referee for their valuable comments.
DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
FUNDING
The authors would like to thank the Regional Government of Andalusia [project P11-SEJ-8044] for providing partial support to this research.
Additional information
Victoriano Ramírez González, PhD in Applied Mathematics, University of Granada. He is a full professor of Applied Mathematics at University of Granada (Spain) and head of an internationally recognised research group on Electoral Methods. He has published in top journals such as Electoral Studies, Mathematics and Computer Modelling, and Spanish Journal of Political Science, among others. He has been chair of the Department of Applied Mathematics at the University of Granada. He has led different research projects supported by the European Commission and Spanish Ministry of Education analysing how to optimise the design of electoral systems to achieve higher levels of proportionality and governability. E-mail: [email protected]
Blanca Luisa Delgado Márquez, PhD in Economics and Business, University of Granada. She is currently an assistant professor at the Department of International and Spanish Economics in the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Granada (Spain). She has published in top-tier research journals such as European Union Politics, Social Indicators Research, Decision Support Systems, Economical Information Reports, Spanish Economy Research Papers and Financial System Perspectives, among others. E-mail: [email protected]
Adolfo López Carmona, Student of PhD in Sociology, University of Granada. He is currently an assistant professor at the Department of Sociology in the Faculty of Political Science and Sociology at the University of Granada (Spain). His current thesis comprises the analysis of electoral systems and also Common Agricultural Policy. He has published in the research journal of Extoikos.