Proportional Representation

Pronunciation: /prəˈpɔːrʃənl ˌrɛprɪzɛnˈteɪʃən/

Definitions of proportional representation

noun the principle that the composition of an elected body should reflect the proportion of votes received by each competing party or group

Example Sentences

A1 Proportional representation means that each party gets a number of seats in government based on the percentage of votes they receive.

A2 In countries with proportional representation, smaller parties have a better chance of being represented in government.

B1 Proportional representation is often seen as a fairer system compared to winner-takes-all electoral systems.

B2 Many European countries use some form of proportional representation in their elections.

C1 The debate over the benefits and drawbacks of proportional representation continues among political scientists and policymakers.

C2 Some argue that proportional representation leads to more diverse and inclusive legislatures, while others criticize it for being too complex and fragmented.

Grammatical Forms of proportional representation

• plural: proportional representations
• comparative: more proportional
• superlative: most proportional
• present tense: proportional representation
• future tense: will have proportional representation
• perfect tense: has had proportional representation
• continuous tense: is having proportional representation
• singular: proportional representation
• positive degree: proportional representation
• infinitive: to have proportional representation
• gerund: having proportional representation
• participle: proportional representation

Origin and Evolution of proportional representation

First Known Use: 1840 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The concept of proportional representation originated in the 19th century in Europe as a response to the perceived flaws of majoritarian electoral systems.

Evolution of the word: Initially used to refer to electoral systems that aimed to allocate seats in proportion to the votes received by each party, the term 'proportional representation' has evolved to encompass a variety of voting methods that seek to ensure fair representation of different groups in decision-making bodies.