Previously you analyzed one country, now you will compare a country of your choosing to the United States. This prompt relates to the chapters on political parties and elections. You can pick any country EXCEPT the United Kingdom. You can write about assigned country from essay #2, but you do not have to.
- In terms of legislative elections, does your country use Single Member Districts, or Proportional Representation? How does your country's legislative election system compare to the U.S. and how we elect our Senators & Congressmen? Note at least one notable difference and one notable similarity. Does your country have one or two houses in their legislature?
- Does your country elect a President like we do, or do they elect a Prime Minister, or both? How does the process of electing their President/Prime Minister compare to the U.S. electoral college? Is it a regional vote, a national popular vote? Which system do you think is better/more democratic?
- What political party does the CURRENT President or Prime Minister for your country represent? Is this an older traditional party. or a party that has emerged recently? How dominant has this party been, and do they control the legislature too? What kind of party system ultimately does your country have in comparison to the U.S. two party system?
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