US Midterm Elections: A Reason to Envy Americans
Dr. Asaf Shapira argues that the US midterm elections allow citizens to express their stance toward the administration, unlike Israel where there are no additional electoral arenas. A study by the Israel Democracy Institute found that Israel has the fewest electoral arenas among 35 democracies. The article proposes reforms such as a semi-open ballot and electoral districts to strengthen the connection between voter and representative.
Dr. Asaf Shapira, director of the Political Reform Program at the Israel Democracy Institute, argues that the US midterm elections give citizens an opportunity to express their stance toward the incumbent administration, something that does not exist in Israel. According to him, a comparative study by the institute found that Israel has the fewest electoral arenas among 35 developed democracies. He further notes that Israel is the only developed democracy without a personal or regional component in Knesset elections, which weakens the connection between voter and representative. The article proposes reforms such as a 'semi-open ballot' and electoral districts, while cautioning against extreme reforms like the direct election system of the 1990s.