W ostatnich latach w nauce o polityce coraz więcej uwagi poświęca się kwestiom metodologicznym, nie bez racji przypominając, że o tożsamości i dojrzałości dyscypliny świadczą metody, z jakich ona korzysta. Tymczasem badanie konsekwencji systemów wyborczych bardzo dobrze poddaje się kwantyfikacji. „Twarde” dane wyborcze (takie jak liczba głosów, mandatów, partii i kandydatów) już na wejściu doskonale nadają się do analiz ilościowych, co dla empirycznie zorientowanej politologii stanowi niebywałą wartość. Co więcej, ponad 60 lat badań w tym obszarze zaowocowało wytworzeniem wielu technik i narzędzi przetwarzania oraz sposobów interpretowania tych danych. Warsztat ten cały czas podlega ewaluacji i ewolucji. Celem tego artykułu będzie krytyczne omówienie najważniejszych podejść metodologicznych i metod badawczych stosowanych do tej pory przy analizach konsekwencji systemów wyborczych. Są one tak różne zarówno pod względem swoich założeń wyjściowych, procedury badawczej oraz sposobu interpretacji wyników, że wydaje się wręcz konieczne ich wyodrębnienie jako osobnych metod porównawczych.

THE POLITICS OF ELECTORAL SYSTEMS IN THE ELECTIONS OF COMMUNE COUNCILS

In this article, I will focus on the evolution of the systems of elections to the commune councils in Poland. Between 1990 – 2014, seven elections to the commune councils were organized in Poland, conducted on the basis of four different voting systems. The most important alterations in the ordinations between 1990 and 2011 included: changing the category of entities qualifying for majority election system, modification of the dimension of the constituencies, changing the mode of distribution of seats, introducing electoral threshold, diminishing the number of councilors, implementing the procedure of “grouping list”. Analysis of changes in the electoral regulations leads to the conclusion that the elections to municipal councils have been politicized.

The Constitutional Principle of Proportionality in the Choice of the Size of the Constituency and the Method of Distributing Seats. Simulation of Changes in Parameters in the Elections to the Polish Sejm

The aim of this article is to, on the basis of the case study of Polish elections to the Sejm, answer the question of which factor has a greater impact on the increase in the proportionality of the electoral system - the minimization of the number of constituencies or the change in the method. In order to do it, the Authors specified the results of six elections to the Sejm in the years 2005-2019 and the value of the proportionality index in two simulation versions. In the first one, the number of constituencies was limited from 41 to 16. In the second, the method of determining the result was changed from D’Hondt into modified Sainte Lague. The results were relatively surprising.

The proposal to introduce a majority voting system has become one of the most crucial elements of rivalry in the Polish presidential campaign of 2015. It was accompanied by an accusation that the proportional voting system seemingly affects the political life in Poland, making it more and more party-dependant. The aim of the present article is to refute the above accusation and present the weaknesses of the majority voting systems, based on British political system. Comparative, historical and analytical methods will be used in order to substantiate the thesis of the article, i.e. that political parties’ influence will not be reduced due to the introduction of the majority voting system. Moreover, the article will also discuss the reasons behind and consequences of using the proportional voting system in Poland, in the light of the so called “crisis of democracy”.

Elections in the Time of Crisis. Case Study of the United Kingdom in 2021

The text analyzes the 2021 elections in Great Britain, taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Attention is focused on the adaptive measures taken to maintain electoral integrity despite the health crisis. The author emphasizes that the pandemic forced a reevaluation of electoral norms and practices, prompting innovation. The article explores ten key areas, including: special voting arrangements, organization of elections, sanitary and epidemiological restrictions, changes in the structure of electoral administration, as well as the impact of the pandemic on the election campaign and turnout. Critical attention is drawn to the too late start of legislative and organizational preparations for the postponed elections by the central authorities.