ABSTRACT
A crucial dimension of democracy is, of course, the right to vote and to be elected. Yet, it took a long time before universal suffrage was introduced in most democracies. At the same time, the question was disputed about how the votes ought to be translated into seats in parliament. Section 2 delves therefore into this matter: who is included in the electorate and what should be the system and fairness of representation? As will be shown in Section 3, there are manifold electoral systems with diverse pros and cons, such as the format of a party system. In this chapter, we will make clear that this is a complex issue and the jury is still out to decide whether or not there is an optimal electoral system that produces a fair and inclusive system of representation.
