The emergence and development of the electoral system in Iraqi Legislation
Author(s): Naeem Maher Lafta Al-Faraji
Abstract:
The assessment of the validity and effectiveness of any electoral system depends on the extent to which the system responds to the political and social conditions experienced by the state implementing it, as well as the values and priorities intended to be achieved and reinforced. Through the electoral system, efforts are directed toward enhancing political stability and competition. Electoral systems play a significant role in determining the nature of the political system and the form of political authority, and they directly influence the structure of the party system. The single-member voting system encourages a two-party structure, while proportional representation supports the emergence of multipartism, and the electoral list system promotes the presence of political parties. The more the electoral system helps express the popular will, the more it contributes to the formation of competent legislative bodies, thereby supporting the development of a democratic system in the state a subject discussed in the first section of this study.
Electoral systems are essential for selecting and determining elected representatives. The electoral process presupposes the existence of rules that allow for the calculation of votes in favor of candidates to determine the winners. It relies on specific technical methods that are often complex, and electoral systems vary from one country to another depending on historical, political, economic, social, and cultural circumstances deemed appropriate for representing the people in legislative councils a topic addressed in the second section of this study.
Naeem Maher Lafta Al-Faraji. The emergence and development of the electoral system in Iraqi Legislation. Int J Political Sci Governance 2025;7(5):201-212. DOI: 10.33545/26646021.2025.v7.i5c.541
