Political Science 5 Marks Question

1. FPTP system.
2. Proportional Representation system.
3. Proportional Representation system.
4. FPTP system.

Indian democracy is not yet ready to replace the First Past the Post system with Proportional Representation because,

• Proportional representation system complicated system which would be difficult to work in a sub-continental country like India.
• In PR system, voters have only choice to choose a party and the representatives are elected on the basis of party lists. There is no representative for one locality which would be held accountable.
• Indian is a vast country with a large number of ethnic and social groups. PR system would encourage each community to form its own party which endanger the social fabric of the country.
• PR based election may not be suitable for giving a stable government in a parliamentary system.

Any answer supported with argument or explanation would solve the purpose. It is strongly recommended that you prepare the solution on your own. However, one sample solution has been provided for your reference: The Election Commissioners should not contest elections after they leave office. This is because the Election Commission is a constitutional body that requires the highest standards of integrity to ensure impartiality in its conduct. The task of the Election Commissioner is to impartially supervise and safeguard the conduct of elections and not become a part of the electoral process. Any future prospect of the involvement of a statutory official like the Election Commissioner in electoral politics would seriously compromise the integrity and impartiality of the one institution that is the cornerstone of democratic convention in the country. This practice would set a precedent that would erode the credibility of the Election Commission and render it liable to charges of bias in its conduct of elections. Such a situation would be unhealthy for the polity in the long term as it would be exposed to electoral malpractices at the highest levels. This precedent would constitute a real danger of reducing elections to a shambolic exercise that would be hostage to the temptation of office for the Election Commissioners at a future date.