FAIRNESS, GOVERNABILITY, AND LEGITIMACY - THE DEBATE OVER ELECTORAL SYSTEMS IN FRANCE

This article addresses the debate over electoral rules by analyzing ch anges in the electoral system of the French fifth republic, contrastin g the ''governability'' argument which advocates a majoritarian system with the ''fairness'' argument which supports a more proportional sys tem of representation. In addition to these normative considerations, strategic aspects of the debate over electoral rules are discussed and linked to the perceived legitimacy of the state. The central argument of this analysis is that these differing positions can be reconciled with the adoption of either a d''Hondt system of proportional represen tation using districts of relatively small magnitude or a dual system of representation.