(W)elke stem telt: Belgische (1899) en Nederlandse (1916–1917) opvattingen over democratie tijdens Kamerdebatten over evenredige vertegenwoordiging ; Which/Each vote counts: Belgian (1899) and Dutch (1916–1917) perspectives on democracy during the parliamentary debates on proportional representation

Modifications to the electoral system in the Netherlands and Belgium at the turn of the twentieth century were the result of long discussions about what the ‘ideal’ parliamentary representation implied and how it had to be accomplished. Moreover, the mps’ additional reflection on the necessity of a proportional distribution of votes added an extra dimension to the debates in the Lower Houses. ‘Democracy’ then seemed to have become an unavoidable process. However, what did ‘democracy’ mean, exactly, for the parliamentary representatives of different political orientations in both countries? And... Mehr ...