Calidad de la representación política y tamaño de las circunscripciones electorales: una comparación de las asambleas panameñas de 1945 y 1999

Abstract

As in other countries in the region, political representation is in crisis in Panama. This article argues that part of the phenomenon is a result of representatives’ lack of qualifications. Based on arguments by James Madison and Richard Katz, the reduced size of Panama’s electoral districts may explain, at least partially, this lack of qualifications. A comparison between Assembly members elected in 1945 and 1999 concludes that in 1945, provincial electoral districts and one national constituency contributed to return more qualified representatives than in 1999, when legislators were elected in municipal and sub–municipal constituencies, as prescribed by the constitution currently in force