Representative Government - how it works...

What is representative government?

The definition some give seems to defend geographical representation and general concepts such as "people elect members."

if we change the definition, it points to why PR is important:

Representative government is a system where a group of citizens elects a representative; many groups elect, enough to fill a chamber. A majority of members in the chamber pass laws and set the policies of government that governs the lives of the citizens.

Elected officials are accountable to the people who elected them, at least for re-election purposes, and make decisions on legislation, taxation and other issues. 

In a Representative Government, power is held by elected representatives, typically forming a parliament, congress or other legislative assembly, as opposed to a direct democracy where citizens vote on every law.  

This definition includes geographical districts but also emphasizes that each group (voting block) elects a single person.

Having equal-sized groups, each with one representative, is basis of PR.

Group as used here is not same as party, but can be if party has so little support so as to have just one member.

(under closed-list PR of course, there is just one group of votes for multiple members, but the principle still applies.)

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in a Parliamentary system or most rep. gov't systems, we elect a person, not a slot on a party slate. 

And between elections, voters have no control over the member who may switch parties ("cross the floor"), or not vote as promised or according to party direction.

Maybe we should, but I think that is outside Electoral reform. (Electoral reform, political research and writing, and some solidarity work is about the limit of my energies.)

Under STV or open list PR, voters have chance to elect the member that is most amenable to party policy and has most party loyalty, if that is voter's emphasis.

Under FPTP we have just one choice in each district, once party of choice is decided.

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