Electoral Systems and Political Stability: A Comparative Analysis of Democracies and Authoritarian Regimes

Abstract

This article compares critically electoral systems and Authoritarian regimes, with a view to unravel the system that promotes stability and the needed development in a society. Documentary sources were utilized in this work. The paper argues that electoral systems are critical determinants of political stability, but their effects differ dramatically between democracies and authoritarian regimes. While proportional systems generally promote stability in heterogeneous democracies through inclusion, and majoritarian systems can stabilize homogeneous democracies through decisiveness, authoritarian regimes use electoral systems to consolidate power rather than foster genuine representation. Yet authoritarian elections can backfire when opposition mobilization outpaces repression. Thus, electoral systems should be seen as conditional instruments whose success depends on broader political, social, and institutional contexts.