Friday, August 15, 2025

Mixed Multi Member Proportional Representation (MMMPR)

A longstanding peeve of mine has been the apparent lack of a proper term for what I think of the Nordic type of democracy, used in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland.

That is a system that creates a parliament with a combination of multimember regional districts elected with proportional representation, made further proportional by the use of additional list members.

So basically like Mixed Member Proportional Representation (generally referred to as MMP) but with multi-member rather than single member seats for the local representation, and using proportional representation at that level, rather than as is common in MMP first-past-the-post.

I have periodically searched for what the technical name for such systems is, the equivalent of Mixed Member Proportional Representation but incorporating reference to the use of multi-member seats, but I have failed.

Generally the systems in these countries seem to be referred to simply as Proportional Representation, which while not incorrect is also not particular to this kind of system.

I have also seen it referred to as Party-list proportional representation, which is more accurate but sounds like it would potentially include both MMP and systems where there is only one constituency but representatives are determined by use proportional representation and party lists.

It seems like political science should definitely have a term for the specific Nordic kind of democracy, but frustratingly I have not been able to locate it, and that definitely feels like a personal failure on my part.

So until that search is successful I am considering using Mixed Multi-Member Proportional Representation (MMMPR or possibly MMMP to be consistent with the accepted use of MMP).

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