Raph Frank wrote:
On Fri, Oct 17, 2008 at 12:44 AM, Kevin Venzke <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
I think what we need to see, are IRV elections to a chamber that is
not parliamentary (i.e. there is no particular prize for one party getting
the most seats). Perhaps in that situation IRV could support more than
two parties.
In Ireland, the rule is that the Taoiseach (PM) needs to obtain the
support of a majority of the Dail before he is appointed. This seems
pretty fair. There is no specific incentive to obtain the most seats
(parties can always form a coalition later).
However, it looks like in (nearly?) all other parliamentary countries,
the rule is that the leader of the largest party is appointed. The
eliminates the need to form a coalition.
Isn't it the case for most parliamentary countries that the government
needs support of the legislature to stay in power? At least here (in
Norway), that's the case, which means that a coalition of parties decide
to populate the government (determine who gets to be in the executive),
and the PM is, like any other position, determined by said coalition,
subject to the general approval of the government by the legislature.
Thus, while in majority governments, the largest party gets the PM (and
that may happen for minority governments, too), for some minority
governments, a smaller party of the coalition gets the PM (in exchange
for it staying in the coalition).
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