In the recent general election, 2 500 000 voters were registered. 1 800 000 of them cast a ballot, giving a turnout of 72 %.

Party X received 55 % of the votes and won 60 % of the parliamentary seats.

Define the "legitimacy index" $L$ as the product of the turnout percentage and the winning party's seat‑share percentage, expressed as a percentage:

$$L = (\text{turnout \%}) \times (\text{seat share \%}) / 100$$

Calculate $L$ for Party X and state whether it exceeds the 50 % threshold for strong democratic legitimacy.

Question

In the recent general election, 2 500 000 voters were registered. 1 800 000 of them cast a ballot, giving a turnout of 72 %.

Party X received 55 % of the votes and won 60 % of the parliamentary seats.

Define the "legitimacy index" $L$ as the product of the turnout percentage and the winning party's seat‑share percentage, expressed as a percentage:

$$L = (\text{turnout \%}) \times (\text{seat share \%}) / 100$$

Calculate $L$ for Party X and state whether it exceeds the 50 % threshold for strong democratic legitimacy.

Accepted Answer

L = 43.2 %; it is below the 50 % threshold.

Neco 2022 Civic Education Question 13