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1.   PR tends to create coalition governments where small but crucial minority parties get outsized power and influence since the big parties have to get their support - classic examples are the FDP in Germany and the religious parties in Israel.

Good observation.  And a small religious party in Israel which got 3% of the vote and has 1-2 Parliament members can walk away and cause a collapse of the government. It causes instability.

2. Furthermore, a PR system gives a huge amount of power to the unelected internal party leadership.
Party officials who get to do backroom deals have disproportionate amount of power.

3.  Your economic or social or political program gets watered down, because you have to compromise, give-and-take.  The alternative is you let the other guy implement his policies and if they don't work, you win the next election and get your shot at it.

by ilg37c on Tue Sep 20th, 2005 at 12:01:19 AM EST
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