Electoral Boundary delimitation Essay – Master’s in Electoral Policy and Administration

   Individual essay (scenario-based) / Assessed

Objective

The scenario-based activity is immersive, and
you act as the main character. Therefore, you are to perform the tasks assigned
to you as if they were actual challenges you face in your workplace. More
specifically, the objective of this scenario exercise is to allow you to gain
working familiarity with the major boundary delimitation measures, techniques
and mechanisms.

Description

A.    
Applying apportionment formulae and measuring malapportionment

In your capacity of boundary delimitation expert, you were deployed
in Namistan to support the process of redrawing electoral districts. In
Namistan, according to the Constitution, the parliament has maximum 20 members.
Namistan has 4 counties and uses a first-past-the-post electoral system. The
population numbers of the counties are different. Using the apportionment
formulae allocate the mandates to the counties according to their population
and fill in the table. Start with calculating a quota using the total
population of the country and the number of MPs.

The Parliament
of Namistan decides to allocates the seats in the following way:

Give a calculation on the malapportionment using the a) measure of
extremeness, b) measure of average deviation, c) the Lorenz curve.

1. Key elements of boundary delimitation

The Parliament of Namistan is also considering modifying its
electoral system. Until now, the whole country was a constituency, and they
applied a proportional representation system. Now they would like to invent a
mixed system where 106 MPs come from single-member constituency and 93 from a
national compensational list. There is a heated debate in the Parliament and in
the media on the method of the boundary delimitation. Namistan is a very
multicultural country with a population including also 13 national minorities.
The ratio of these minorities in the population is from 1 to 15 percent and
they live in a sporadic way in the whole country. The country has a river in
the middle that parts it into a flat and a hilly part. There are 4
administrative units that have a different shape and size because they follow
the traditional division of the country. There are two main political parties
in the country that usually run for the mandates in parliament and have almost
the same support among voters. There is a newly created political party that
plans to set a list and candidates at the next elections.

As an advisor of the prime minister, prepare a background proposal
for the boundary delimitation model that according to you would be ideal for
Namistan. Present the advantages and disadvantages of each model, argue next to
the chosen model. Elaborate the proposed key elements of the model (e.g.,
timing, body, procedure) and give the reasons for your choice.

1. Practical realization of boundary delimitation

The head of the national boundary delimitation would like to start
the preparation for the next boundary delimitation process that is due the next
year. Make for her a memorandum on the technical, administrative, financial and
personal means that are necessary to successfully implement the process.
Justify each item on the list.

—For a more clear view of the assignment please check the learning section number 3 (the learning experiences) of the module’s handbook that was uploaded to this order