With proportional representation the electorate can express itself ideologically

Last winter AOC was quoted saying that in a proportional representation system she and Bernie would not be in the same party as Joe Biden.

They’d be in a party that adhered to the ideology of social democracy. Biden would be in a party that represented the ideology of liberalism.

This is to say that, in a proportional representation system, the parties make sense . . . and the voters get a more coherent form of political expression.

Where this is the case there are actually two types of parties:

One expresses a special, local, idiosyncratic perspective or represents a focus on a particular issue. In Canada the Parti Québécois is a provincial party that advocates national sovereignty for Quebec. Likewise: the Scottish National Party in the UK. There can be particularist parties that focus on an issue like immigration or abortion or marijuana legalization, etc. Often that type of party will get a significant number of votes in an area or among a constituency, but a small percentage of the vote nationally.

The other type represents an ideology. There are seven popular ideological currents worldwide these days: liberalism, conservatism, socialism, nationalism, social democracy, libertarianism, and environmentalism. In Germany the Christian Democrats are conservative and poll around 30%. The Social Democrats represent both liberalism and social democracy; they get about 20% of the vote. Alternative for Germany is a nationalist party that got 12% in the last federal election. The libertarian Free Democrats got 10%, the socialist Left Party 9%, and the Greens got 9%.

Clearly the electorate is divided, so it’s rare that an ideological party gets over 50% of the vote. Two or more parties that share some goals and values need to form a coalition in order to establish a majoritarian government.

With expressive electoral systems we can see how support for certain ideologies varies over time.

A new ecological consciousness resulted in the establishment of new parties during the 1970s. There are now Green parties in almost a hundred countries worldwide. At first the Greens polled only one or two percent. They now often get near or above ten percent — and on that basis are a member of six governing coalitions in Europe.

What is the distinctive Green ideology? It emphasizes ecology, community, responsibility, democracy, justice, sustainability, decentralization, feminism, diversity, and peace (demilitarization) as indicated by our Ten key Values:

Ecological Wisdom
The Greens recognize that the Earth sustains all life forms. Whatever we do to the web of life, we do to ourselves.

Social Justice
Greens find the worldwide growth of poverty and injustice unacceptable and are working for a world in which all can fulfill their potential regardless of gender, race, citizenship, or sexual orientation.

Grassroots Democracy
The powerless suffer the most from resource exhaustion and toxic pollution. Greens believe in direct participation by all citizens in the environmental, political, and economic decisions that affect their lives.

Nonviolence
Greens reject violence as a way of resolving disputes — it is shortsighted, morally wrong, and ultimately self-defeating. We advocate demilitarization and abhor state organized killing of any kind; therefore we are against the death penalty and we work to end war forever.

Decentralization
Power and responsibility must be restored to local communities, within an overall framework of ecologically sound, socially just values and lifestyles. To counter the alienation of mass industrial society, we work toward the restoration of humanly-scaled communities, institutions, and technologies. We view political decentralization as a prerequisite for substantive participatory democracy.

Community-Based Economics
Greens seek the deconcentration of wealth and power; we assert that extreme disparities in personal wealth and concentrated control of productive assets are inherently undemocratic. Therefore we advocate an egalitarian economics which fosters sufficiency (meeting the basic the needs of everyone) while taking account of the natural limits of the Earth. We promote decentralization in the economic sphere as well as the political sphere. This would mean regionalizing economic activity as much as practical — in order to encourage local self-reliance, accountability, and responsibility.

Feminism
The ethics of cooperation and understanding must replace the patriarchal values of domination and control. Gender should not be a basis for discrimination nor for role typecasting.

Respect for Diversity
We honor the biological diversity of the Earth, and the cultural, sexual, and spiritual diversity of Earth’s people. We aim to reclaim this country’s finest ideals: popular democracy, the dignity of the individual, and liberty and justice for all.

Personal and Global Responsibility
Greens express commitment to global sustainability and international justice both through political solidarity and personal lifestyles based on sufficiency and living lightly upon the Earth.

Future Focus/Sustainability
Like the Iroquois Indians, Greens seek a society where the interests of the seventh future generation are considered equal to the interests of the present. Every generation should, minimally, seek to leave the planet no worse off than when it was bequeathed to them. We must act in the present in such a way as to reclaim the future for our children and their children.