Chapter 3: Political parties and thresholds
This chapter summarizes current constitutional design regarding political parties and election thresholds. It is based on the review of national constitutions and seeks to establish a common ground for writing and amending constitutions. Qualification as a political party, their protection, banning and dissolution can take different forms as well as provisions relating to party financing. The second part of this chapter reviews election thresholds that parties must surpass to be admitted to Parliament. Details of such threshold clauses are reviewed in majoritarian and proportional systems, with respect to party coalitions and regional parties and particular emphasis is placed on “wasted” (i.e. unallocated) votes. This chapter forms part of Vol. I of Writing Constitutions.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-94602-9_3