proportional

Intermediate 🏛️ Government / Politics

Definition

The mathematical relationship where things increase or decrease at a constant ratio—basically fair distribution based on size or quantity. In politics, it refers to representation or voting systems where parties get seats based on their percentage of votes rather than winner-take-all chaos. The grown-up version of making sure everyone gets cake proportional to how many people they brought to the party.

Example Usage

The proportional representation system meant even smaller parties could win seats if they garnered at least 5% of the vote.

Source: Common political science terminology

Related Terms

Translate This Term

See “proportional” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.

Try the Translator