📋 Written Ability Test (WAT) / Essay Analysis Guide

🗳️ Is Proportional Representation More Democratic than a First-Past-the-Post System?

🌍 Understanding the Topic

• Proportional Representation (PR): Focuses on fair representation, ensuring minority voices are heard.
• First-Past-the-Post (FPTP): Prioritizes stability and clear governance by favoring decisive outcomes.
• Relevance for B-Schools: Highlights trade-offs in policy design and governance, offering insights into leadership and strategic decision-making.

🕒 Effective Planning and Writing

• Time Allocation (30 minutes):
  • Planning: 5 minutes
  • Writing: 20 minutes
  • Review: 5 minutes
• Preparation Tips:
  • Incorporate global examples like Sweden (PR) and the U.K. (FPTP).
  • Highlight representation gaps and governance outcomes for both systems.

✍️ Introduction Techniques for Essays

• Contrast Approach: “PR celebrates inclusivity, while FPTP champions stability—an enduring democratic dilemma.”
• Data-Driven Start: “With 15% higher representation for minorities and women, PR challenges FPTP’s equity claims.”

📊 Structuring the Essay Body

• Achievements:
  • PR enhances diversity—Sweden achieves 50% women representation in parliament.
  • FPTP ensures decisive outcomes—the U.K. and India benefit from stable majorities.
• Challenges:
  • PR leads to coalition risks—frequent political stalemates in Israel.
  • FPTP marginalizes smaller parties—Canada’s Green Party consistently underrepresented.
• Future Outlook: Advocate for hybrid electoral systems that merge PR’s inclusivity with FPTP’s decisiveness, such as New Zealand’s Mixed-Member Proportional system.

✅ Concluding Effectively

• Balanced Conclusion: “Democracies must balance inclusivity and decisiveness; hybrid systems present a promising direction.”
• Global Comparison: “PR’s success in Sweden and FPTP’s efficiency in India showcase contrasting yet valuable lessons.”

🔍 Analyzing Successes and Shortcomings

• Key Successes:
  • PR promotes inclusivity, electing 15% more minorities and women globally.
  • FPTP delivers clear governance, avoiding coalition complexities.
• Key Shortcomings:
  • PR’s coalition complexities often delay decisions.
  • FPTP marginalizes smaller parties and minority voices.

📈 Recommendations for Sustainable Progress

• Explore hybrid electoral systems like New Zealand’s Mixed-Member PR model.
• Strengthen voter education to maximize understanding of system trade-offs.

📄 Sample Short Essays

1. Balanced Perspective (100 Words)

“Proportional representation fosters inclusivity, electing 15% more women and minorities, while first-past-the-post ensures decisive governance. Democracies face a trade-off: representation versus stability. Nations like Germany balance these through hybrid systems, merging PR’s fairness with FPTP’s clarity. Such models, tailored to specific political landscapes, hold the key to equitable and effective governance.”

2. Solution-Oriented (100 Words)

“Proportional representation aligns democracy with fairness, addressing representation gaps. However, coalition politics often delay decisions, a drawback FPTP avoids with stable majorities. Hybrid systems, like New Zealand’s Mixed-Member PR, integrate inclusivity with functionality. By evolving electoral frameworks, democracies can ensure equitable governance without sacrificing efficiency.”

3. Global Comparison (100 Words)

“With PR systems electing 15% more minorities and women, inclusivity becomes a global benchmark. However, FPTP, used in 43 nations like the U.S. and India, ensures stability through decisive outcomes. Sweden’s PR success and India’s FPTP effectiveness highlight diverse paths to governance. Hybrid systems could offer the best of both worlds.”