Recent Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research Chapter 2
45
Advantages and Disadvantages of Political Parties in
Electoral Systems: A Comparative Analysis of General
Elections between 1946 and 1961
1
Assoc. Prof. Meral BALCI
*
, PhD Candidate Yeşim KARADENİZ
**
* Marmara University, Department of International Relations,
[email protected]
** Yıldız Technical University, Graduate School of Social Sciences,
[email protected]
1. Introduction
The concept of election in democratic governments is accepted as an
important tool for citizens to be effective in political participation. Election
systems, the method for calculating election results, are concerned with how
the officials to be elected will be determined. The basic principles of both
democracy and law should be taken as a basis in the election and regulation of
election systems, and election systems should not be described as a simple
situation in which elections are held. Also, seeing the concept of democracy
and election equivalent with each other will cause a wrong thought. When the
concept of democracy and election is considered as synonymous with each
other, a direct link will be established between the excess of elections and
democracy, and the idea that a society where many elections is held will be a
democratic society. However, justice and security must be provided in
elections for the development of democratic elections. Election results without
electoral security will be considered fraudulent by all segments, and this idea
cannot be changed for centuries. For this reason, honesty and security should
be considered together as well as thinking about democracy and elections
together, and efforts should be made both legally and socially for its
development. The elections not only give the citizen the right to express their
will but also give the right to approve or not to approve the existing power. At
this stage, the basic element of a democratic election is the general and equal
voting principle. As well as general and equal votes, citizens' ability to exercise
their right to vote with free will without being subjected to any act of pressure
and violence is considered as an essential element for democracy. The election
systems, which are important in the reflection of the voter's decision, which
takes the will to the ballot box with the principle of general, equal and free
voting, should strengthen the functioning of democracy by ensuring justice and
stability. Because, democracy should not only protect the thoughts that are the
majority, but also the thoughts of the minorities. At this stage, the thought of
all sections of the society reflected in the ballot box should be reflected to the
1
This study is derived from the Master's Thesis entitled "The Effect of the Election
System Applied in the History of Turkish Democracy Between 1945-1960 on the
Politics of the Period and the Parties", completed in June 2019 at Marmara University.