Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Professor of Political Geography, University of Tehran
2 Ph.D. political geography, University of Tehran
Abstract
Introduction
Geography explains the man-environment relationships and the geographical environments and spaces need the political organization of space is needed for optimal governance. It is impossible or it will be accompanied by many difficulties to manage space without political management and to define clear boundaries by dividing space into local, national and regional dimensions. Thus, political geography examines the effect of political decisions on the environment and geographical space and human relations. If sovereignty arises from the nation, political decisions have acceptability and legitimacy. In this geographical debate, elections as a branch of political geography examine the proportionality or disproportion of electoral areas' seats to the population, as well as the manipulation of electoral areas' boundaries (Gerrymandering) that leads to the continued victory of a person or political faction. The Islamic Consultative Assembly is considered as the main and most important decision-making element in the Islamic Republic of Iran, which periods have passed since the beginning of the Islamic Revolution, and according to the existing laws (Article 64 of the Constitution), each area can change according to decreasing or increasing the number of members of parliament in each ten-year period and the geographical boundaries, which necessarily leads to changes in the boundaries of the electoral area and manipulation of the boundaries, in the meantime, the examination of voting patterns and voting and ballots can manipulate and change boundaries in favor of one person or party, and lead to continued victory in electoral areas. On the other hand, if there is a mismatch between these manipulations with the proportion of the population and electoral seats call into question spatial justice and democracy, so political geographers, especially election geographers, examine these issues and analyze electoral areas
Materials and methods
In the present study, the dispersion and deviation from the criteria and division of electoral areas has been investigated using library resources, approvals of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, Statistics Center of Iran, field observation, interviews with representatives and using Spss v22 software, as well as electoral areas maps in different periods are examined using the GIS software geographic information system, and the maps of each electoral area are drawn before and after the changes, and based on one or more of six methods, Gerrymandering is discovered as follows.
Obvious declared method 2. Conditions generality method 3- The evaluation method of the border change process 4- The inspection method 5- The preliminary comparison method 6- Clear superiority method and accordingly the division in the electoral areas of East Azerbaijan province is in the following categories.
1- Very high negative difference 2- High negative difference 3- Low negative difference 4- Very low negative difference 5- Normal 6- Very low positive difference 7- Low positive difference 8- High positive difference 9- Very high positive difference
Results and Discussion
The study of the variance of constituencies indicates that a very sparsely populated constituency with a large and representative Shahin Dej constituency and a densely populated and under-represented constituency of Urmia and Khoy and Charpareh do not have a suitable share ratio.
The variance of the constituencies of West Azerbaijan province compared to the national average shows that the constituency of Urmia is underrepresented and this should beconsidered in future studies. Examining the proportionality of the share in the constituencies of West Azerbaijan province confirms that there is less spatial justice in terms of population and number of seats. The provincial average population of constituencies is 272,101; the sum of its variance is equal to 6.31 and its average variance is equal to 63. Percent. And for the total population of the province, 11.37 representatives are assigned. In examining the manipulations carried out at the borders of some constituencies, especially at the time of the separation of Shahin Dej, Takab and Miando Ab, the proportionality of population sharing has been disturbed. Therefore, in future revisions, this disproportion should be considered and spatial justice Replace with disproportionate sharing. On the other hand, the manipulations in the constituencies should be done with careful and expert attention, and the investigation of Jerry Mandering in this province shows that Jerry Mandering has not taken place.
Conclusion
Analysis of the population and number of seats in West Azerbaijan Province shows that the three constituencies of Urmia, Khoy and Charpareh and Miando Ab are under-represented constituencies and the two constituencies of Shahin Dej and Salmas are among the most representative constituencies, although According to the 2016 census, most of the constituencies are in the normal range, but in some constituencies, the disproportion of distribution is obvious.
The suggestions that can be made about this province are as follows. With the increase in the population of Urmia constituency, this constituency has the potential to increase the representative to 4 seats, which can be considered in future decisions due to the increase in population from 2016 until now. Other constituencies, without considering this important component, will face more gaps in any change, intrusion, occupation, limitation, and increase of the share and spatial justice.
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