In his book “Legislative Voting and Accountability” John M. Carey seeks to understand whether legislatures are voting out of discipline or cohesion. Cohesions means that a party is voting together because they are united ideologically and want it to be that way. Discipline means that a party votes according to the rewards or punishments that follow their vote. Party unity means that a party is voting together whether it be a result of discipline or cohesion. This post will question whether South African politicians are voting out of cohesion or discipline.
Thiven Reddy wrote an article for Politikon, a South African political science journal, which explains that politicians are voting as a result of discipline and their fear of losing the favor of the powerful ANC party. Reddy explains that as a new proportional representation party list democracy South Africa should be a champion of the voice of the minority. However, with the ANC dominating every election since 1994 the list of voices to be heard has been unpredictably small. Reddy offers his thesis as to why this is, he says, “there is little questioning of the executive in parliamentary systems because members toe the party line. This is further enhanced in the part list PR electoral system of South Africa where party representatives fear the loss of their seats should the party bosses decide to remove them” (194). Furthermore, he claims “The party control of the state suffocates civil society, which reduces the democratic space, and blurs the line between the party and the state, which reduces accountability and increases corruption” (194). It is clear to see that with such a strong party the only principal that a politicians needs to oblige is the party in power.
To answer the question posed in the thesis it seems that there can be little argument that South African politicians are voting out of discipline and as Reddy mentioned, fear of losing their seats and all the benefits that come with it.
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