Abstract
Ranked choice voting first gained a foothold in the U.S. during the Progressive Movement in the 20th century as calls for electoral reforms grew. Ranked choice voting was implemented in many cities across the U.S. in both single- and multi-seat districts. But, by the 1940s it became a victim of its own success, turning the tides of the hegemonic white male leadership in U.S. legislative bodies with the election of women. Since the 1990s, ranked choice voting has once again gained traction in the U.S., this time with the focus on implementing single seat ranked choice voting. This article will build on the existing literature by filling in the gaps on how ranked choice voting—in both forms—has impacted women’s representation both historically and in currently elected bodies in the U.S.
Highlights
Electoral Systems MatterAt the start of the 20th century, reformers who made up the Progressive movement pushed against the sta‐ tus quo in American society
Electoral reform groups at the time pointed to the U.S.’ winner‐take‐all electoral system, which often resulted in plurality winners, party supermajorities, and the stranglehold of political machines and party bosses as a root cause of the obstacles facing the U.S reform groups backed an electoral system that results in pro‐ portional representation for voters while preserving the one vote per person tenet; in particular the adoption of ranked choice voting with multi‐seat districts, alterna‐ tively known as the single transferable vote or propor‐ tional ranked choice voting (Amy, 1996)
With growing support from the Progressive movement and expanding interest among women and other citizens typically excluded from elected office, ranked choice voting was primed to sweep the country in the first half of the 20th century
Summary
At the start of the 20th century, reformers who made up the Progressive movement pushed against the sta‐ tus quo in American society. As many pro‐ gressive reforms were adopted in the U.S, including the direct election of the U.S Senate, open‐primaries, home‐ rule municipal charters, and the expansion of suffrage to women, in response, reformers looked to implement an electoral system that would address the widespread corruption within American politics (Novoselic, 2015). With growing support from the Progressive movement and expanding interest among women and other citizens typically excluded from elected office, ranked choice voting was primed to sweep the country in the first half of the 20th century. Along with addressing the growing corruption in U.S politics, jurisdictions using the single transferable vote witnessed the growing elected representation of women, minority communities and third parties all of which remained largely stagnant nationally.
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