proportional representation
noun/prəˌpɔːʃənl ˌreprɪzenˈteɪʃn/
/prəˌpɔːrʃənl ˌreprɪzenˈteɪʃn/
[uncountable] (abbreviation PR)
- a system that gives each party in an election a number of seats in relation to the number of votes its candidates receiveCultureExcept for in elections to the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly this system is not used in Britain or the US, which both operate a first-past-the-post system, in which candidates are elected who receive the most votes in a particular area. Proportional representation is generally thought to benefit smaller parties, and is favoured by the Liberal Democrats but not by the Conservative Party or the Labour Party.compare first-past-the-postTopics Politicsc2
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proportional representation