- Degressive proportionality is a principle of political representation
- It ensures that:
- More populous units receive more seats
- Less populous units receive disproportionately higher representation per capita
- It lies between equality of states and equality of population
Core Features
- Increase in population leads to an increase in number of seats
- Population per representative rises with population size
- Smaller units are over-represented
- Larger units are under-represented
- Prevents dominance of highly populous units in decision-making
Application of Degressive Proportionality
- Applied in the European Parliament
- Smaller countries like Malta and Luxembourg enjoy higher representation per capita than larger countries like Germany and France
- Balances democratic representation with equality of member states
Rationale Behind Degressive Proportionality
- Protects political voice of smaller or less populous units
- Prevents marginalisation by demographically dominant units
- Promotes unity and cohesion in multi-state or multi-national unions
- Encourages consensus-oriented governance
Degressive Proportionality and Proportional Representation
- Proportional representation is based purely on population
- Degressive proportionality modifies population-based representation to protect smaller units
- Under degressive proportionality:
- Democratic equality is balanced with federal stability
- Political power is distributed to avoid excessive concentration
Indian Context
- India does not formally adopt degressive proportionality
- However, similar outcomes emerge due to:
- Representation in the Rajya Sabha
- Freezing of Lok Sabha seats for several decades
- These mechanisms prevent loss of political influence of smaller or demographically slower-growing states
- The concept is relevant in debates on:
- Delimitation
- Federal balance
- Incentives for population control
Rajya Sabha and Degressive Logic
- Rajya Sabha representation is not strictly proportional to population
- Smaller states are guaranteed minimum representation
- Emphasises federal principle over population-based dominance
Criticism
- Dilutes the principle of one person one vote
- Leads to under-representation of populous regions
- Requires careful design to avoid democratic imbalance
Advantages
- Strengthens federal stability
- Protects regional and minority interests
- Prevents excessive political centralisation
- Encourages cooperative federalism
