"I used to be a fan of proportional representation, but I am not at all now I have seen it in action"

Helen Suzman was a prominent South African anti-apartheid activist and parliamentarian, understood for her strong commitment to human rights and democratic governance. The quote "I utilized to be a fan of proportional representation, however I am not now I have actually seen it in action" reflects a modification in her viewpoint on the electoral system called proportional representation (PR).

Proportional representation is developed to designate seats in a legislature in proportion to the variety of votes each celebration gets. This system is often praised for being more inclusive and fairer than majoritarian systems, like first-past-the-post, as it permits a broader variety of political voices to be represented in government. It can avoid supremacy by a single party and give smaller or minority parties more influence.

Suzman's disillusionment with PR "in action" suggests that her direct exposure to or experience with this system led her to reassess its efficiency. There could be several factors for this shift in opinion. For instance, while PR can increase variety in representation, it might also lead to fragmented parliaments with numerous little parties. This can make forming steady federal governments difficult and might result in delicate coalitions or political gridlock, which could impede decisive governance and policy application.

Moreover, PR may empower severe or fringe parties if they protect even a small portion of the vote, thus complicating the political landscape. Suzman, having devoted her profession to promoting practical and reliable governance, might have ended up being concerned that PR, in spite of its egalitarian appeal, could lead to inadequacy, instability, or unintentional political effects that counterproductive to her goals.

Her declaration highlights the difference in between theoretical perfects and useful truths. Suzman's journey from a fan to a critic of PR underscores the complexity of electoral systems and the challenges in accomplishing a governance design that stabilizes fairness, representation, and functionality in practice.