Střed/Centre ist eine begutachtete Zeitschrift, die auf das Studium von Gesellschaft, Politik und Kultur im zentralen Europa des 19. und 20. Jahrhunderts ausgerichtet ist. Die Zeitschrift ist ökumenisch in gewählten methodologischen und fachlichen Ansätzen und strebt danach, Wissenschaftlern aus möglichst breitestem Spektrum der Geisteswissenschaften, die sich mit der Forschung des gegebenen zeitlichen und geographischen Raumes beschäftigen, einen Publizierungsraum anzubieten. Die einzelnen Nummern werden monothematisch sein, sodass die wissenschaftlichen Studien miteinander thematisch verknüpft werden.
Die vorliegende Ausgabe der Zeitschrift widmet sich den Wahlen und dem Wahlrecht im Zentraleuropa 1848-2008. Es beinhaltet sowohl historische Studien, die Entwicklung der Wahlen und Verwandlung des Wahlrechts seit 1848 verfolgen, als auch politikwissenschaftliche Analysen, die sich den Wahlen und dem Wahlrecht der letzten Jahrzente widmet.
Obsah/Contents
Úvodem/Preface 5
Vědecké stati/Studies
Milan Hlavačka Volby a národní politické reprezentace v českých zemích 1848/1861–1918(Elections and National Political Representations in Bohemian Lands 1848/1861–1918) 9
Jana Malínská Volební právo žen do říšské rady, českého zemského sněmu a do obcí v letech 1848–1914(Womens Suffrage for Reichsrat, the Bohemian Diet and Municipal Districts in 1848–1914) 24
Luboš Velek Myšlenka zavedení všeobecného, rovného a přímého volebního práva v obecném a českém kontextu(Idea of Introducing the General, Equal and Direct Right to Vote in the Universal and Czech Context) 58
Vratislav Doubek Všeobecné volební právo – symbol politiky či politikaření?(Universal suffrage - a symbol of politics or politicking?) 68
Jan Galandauer Sociální demokracie v Rakousku a všeobecné rovné hlasovací právo(Social Democracy in Austria and the Question of Universal Suffrage) 82
Michal Pehr Bílé lístky(White Ballots) 95
Daniel Kunštát Všeobecné volební právo jako demokratický axiom: některé konsekvence pro teorii i praxi moderní masové demokracie(Universal Suff rage as a Democratic Axiom:Some Consequences for the Th eory and Praxis of Modern Mass Democracy) 110
Recenze/Reviews of Books
TOMÁŠ LEBEDA, Volební systémy poměrného zastoupení. Mechanismy, proporcionalita a politické konsekvence (Josef Baxa) 127
MATTHIAS FRANZ LILL, Die Tschechoslowakei in der österreichischen Außenpolitik der Zwischenkriegszeit (1918–1938). Politische und wirtschaftliche Beziehungen (Ota Konrád) 130
EVA LISÁ, Karel hrabě Chotek. Nejvyšší purkrabí Království českého (Jan Randák) 135
JAKUB RÁKOSNÍK, Odvrácená tvář meziválečné prosperity. Nezaměstnanost v Československu v letech 1918–1938 (Vítězslav Sommer) 140
SAMUEL SALZBORN, Geteilte Erinnerung. Die deutsch–tschechischen Beziehungen und die sudetendeutsche Vergangenheit (Lukáš Vlček) 145
Abstracts
Milan HlavačkaElections and National Political Representations in Bohemian Lands 1848/1861–1918
After 1848 the inhabitants of three core Bohemian Crown Lands voted for several representative bodies. In 1848 deputies of the Reichstag in Vienna were elected, as well as deputies of the Bohemian Diet in Prague, of the Moravian Diet in Brno and of the broadened Silesian Convent in Opava. Following 1861, i.e. after the revival of constitutionality, renewed elections were held for the Bohemian, as well as for the Moravian and Silesian Diets, and after 1873 even for the Reichstag in Vienna. After 1849, or better to say after 1864, when the new electoral code for the local self-governments came into effect, other local elections were held, which were supplemented in Bohemia with other elections for the district governments. Except of that, following the year 1850 the businessmen, industrialists and tradesmen voted for the Chambers of Commerce with their residence in Prague, Pilsen, České Budějovice, Liberec, Cheb, Brno, Olomouc and Opava. The aim of the study is to confront the election results with the ethnical affiliation and to rethink the question, to what extent the different electoral codes could have influenced the political and national split in Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia prior to the World War I.
Jana MalínskáWomens Suffrage for Reichsrat, the Bohemian Diet and Municipal Districts in 1848–1914
The liberalization and democratization of society as well as of the Constitution and relevant legislation including electoral laws for Reichsrat, Bohemian Diet and local self-governments between 1848 and World War I, considerably contributed to the development of the Czech women’s movement. The study attempts to explore the context of relationships between political liberalization and democratization and the public activities of women’s associations. The focus is on gradual changes in women’s attitudes toward the work for the society. The initial non-political activities oriented on the social sphere and education of girls began to expand into politics since early 1890’s, due to better education of women and significant approval of some politicians. To be able to participate in this political sphere, women had to acquire the suffrage similar to men. Gradual broadening of electoral law contributed to further emancipation of women as well as the Czech society.
Luboš Velek_Idea of Introducing the General, Equal and Direct Right to Vote in the Universal and Czech Context_
The article summarizes discussions and ideas of the second half of the 19th century and the early 20th century expressed by the Czech society and its political leaders on introduction of the universal suffrage and on the appropriate level of its equality. While putting opinions oscillating between conservatives, socialists, liberals and liberal democrats into the context of similar all-European debates, the article deals with arguments of various political and world view-related groupings and summarizes causes and results of individual attitudes toward solving this crucial issue of the modern European society. On top of the political and social impact of the universal suffrage introduction it also takes into consideration the gender problem, i.e. the admissibility of the women’s suffrage.
Vratislav DoubekUniversal suffrage – a symbol of politics or politicking?
The study focuses on a frequently debated question of the role of universal suffrage in the context of Austrian politics at the turn of the 20th century. It performs a cross-sectional analysis of the transformation of the election rules in Austria and the gradual widening of the suffrage until the introduction of universal suffrage in 1907. This overview only serves, however, as a basis for comparison of different approaches of seemingly different approaches united and unified by a common goal. Similar efforts often concealed very different if not contradictory notions of individual political parties and streams with respect to the usability of an extended suffrage in party, national or class interests. Although the value of universal suffrage seems to be irreplaceable for the growth of positive democratic principles in politics, at that time this right and the struggle for its institutionalisation became a political instrument and part of the rivalry between the political parties.
Jan GalandauerSocial Democracy in Austria and the Question of Universal Suffrage
The Study explores the role of the Austrian Social Democracy in the modernization of the electoral system prior to the World War I. It states that Social Democracy represented a major political force in the struggle for universal suffrage. While strongly advocating a democratic electoral reform, the Social Democrats, however, refused any kind of cooperation with the conservative political forces. After the Badeni electoral reform of 1896 and the following 1897 elections, Social Democracy gained the first minor success, however, this was still too far from their claims and ideals. It was only the Beck electoral reform of 1906 and the following elections, which meant a major political success for the Austrian Social Democracy. Despite the higher representation of Social Democrats in the newly elected popular parliament, this new parliament proved to be unable to implement a more radical reform. Nevertheless, it can be resumed, that the Social Democracy was the only force defending classical liberal ideals of parliamentary work.
Michal PehrWhite Ballots
The end of the World War II and the reinstallation of Czechoslovakia brought many changes, which influenced the development of suffrage. In general, these changes resulted in more or less restrictions of suffrage (apart from lowering the age limit for acquiring active and passive suffrage). One of such important changes were so called white ballots, this study deals with.
White ballots were used only during the 1946 and 1948 elections. By casting such a white ballot, voters had the opportunity to vote for nobody and nothing. Their introduction was interpreted as a possibility to protest legally, freely and democratically against the new situation in the state. In reality, however, their introduction meant a restriction of suffrage, with the main political agents of the Third Czechoslovak Republic trying to estimate, how many inhabitants did not agree with the new political setting.
White ballots played even a more important role during the 1948 elections, which were perceived as a confirmation of the communist February takeover. The voters had the opportunity to vote either for a singular ballot of the popular front or to cast a white ballot. A strong campaigning against the opportunity to cast a white ballot was launched by the communist and was accompanied with psychological and occasionally even physical intimidation. Despite of this, approximately 10 per cent of the population took advantage of the opportunity and did cast a white ballot. It was the single opportunity to present personal opinions at the beginning of the communist totalitarian regime.
Daniel KunštátUniversal Suffrage as a Democratic Axiom: Some Consequences for the Theory and Praxis of Modern Mass Democracy
The study tackles some key aspects of voters’ decision making in modern mass democracies vis a vis the changes of paradigm of political party membership since the implementation of universal suffrage.
The implementation of universal suffrage, the study argues, brought about also mass party membership, which presupposed tight integration of an individual into a distinct socio-cultural collective body. The parties thus begun to expand into the „civic“ sphere, which enabled the identification of a single voter with respective political representation, the Agrarian party of the First Czechoslovak Republic being a typical example for Kunštát. The end of the World War II, however, is accompanied by growing diversity of institutions and interests within the modern democracies. The parties oriented on voters from different social backgrounds, which pursued a large number of concrete goals, begun to assert themselves. The political conflicts and interests thus became gradually de-ideologized. Parallel to that, these types of political parties were unable to tackle the interests and problems of post-industrial society (gender question, nuclear energy, abortion etc.)
According to Kunštát, today the modern media seem to play the key role of an almost single producer of public discourse and also of a very strong tool of social control. Voters’ decision making, the study concludes, is thus nowadays defined more by their political socialization or party identification than by rational choice.