Proportional Representation Minor parties and resulting coalitions are a feature of countries employing the proportional representation system. Typically, electorates are large, and several seats are available for each electorate. The purpose is to enhance representation of diverse groups in the community by increasing the possibility of seats in parliament for smaller parties, to match more closely their support in the overall community. This is achieved because a smaller proportion of votes from a larger electorate can gain a seat, while the same proportion of votes from the same area divided into several single Member electorates cannot. The system thus only provides for some of the major minorities, even if the whole country is treated as one electorate, as is the case in Israel, where it is said that there are more parties than seats in the parliament.
Serious problems are likely to go unresolved through the indecisiveness of the system.
A typical situation has been the inability of Israel to overcome its internal tensions and make necessary and important decisions with regard to the international urging to resolve the Palestinian problem. The instability caused many people in those countries to see 'strong' political leaders as the answer to their problems. The uncontrolled access to power to which this led completed the tragedy. One wonders if the violence in East Germany by Neo-Nazi 'skinheads' is not a case of history repeating itself, when we consider that the Government is apparently uncertain what to do, and the situation demands very positive and decisive action. PR, if implemented in lower Houses of Parliament, by providing multiple in lieu of single Member representation, would shift party conflict down to the electorate.