1.3- ELECTORAL SYSTEMS Flashcards
What are the functions of elections
- Representation
This works on all levels of elections- it is to choose a representative to speak on behalf of a community. Trust is placed. They are however, entitled to think differently under different circumstances.. The Burkean Theory- MPs are not mere delegates. The function is complicated by party pressure, may influence to please party rather than voters
Choosing the government-
At general election voters are granting a government legitimacy. The party with the most seats forms government. FPTP makes this quite often, but as in 2010, coalitions can form.
Holding the government to account-
Voters have a right to reject governments MPs can also be held to account, following the expenses scandal of 2009 a number of MPs stood down. Since 2010 the recall of MP means if an MP receives a prison sentence or is suspended for more than 21 days, a by election is held if a 10% of constituents sign a recall petition
Participation-
A way in which to take part in politics, on the basis of promises which can be misleading. I.e Labour’s promise to not top up fees when they increased them to 3000.
Influence over policy-
- Limited impact, however can influence through opinion. Fo example following Labours 1983 defeat they changed policy towards the centre. The increasing prominence of the greens caused more parties to be involved.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of FPTP
Advantages-
Speed and simplicity
- It is easy and user accessible. The result is quickly known and a government is formed quickly, exceptions are in hung parliaments. Only took 5 days compared to Belgium where after a 2010 election using proportional system took 18 months to form. The ease may be why most of the public support it.
Strong and stable government
- Generally creates a 2 party system with a clear majority and thus a mandate to carry out policy. In Germany between 2969 and 1998 the Free democrats never gained more than 10% but were able to hold the balance of power between the major parties. They sustained the social Democrats till 1982 and then switched to the the Christian democrats(conservatives). many argues this creates an undue power in minor parties a they are crucial in deciding who forms government.
Exclusion of extremists
As it excludes minority parties, it naturally excludes extremists. The BNP gained 1.9% of votes in 2010 and National front 0.6% in 1979 which in a truly proportional system should have lead to 12 and 3 seats respectively in our current 650 MP system- which considering the power of minor parties in current systems many have concerns over.
MP’s and constituency links
- Small size allows for a true representation and care for a community. Humanises parliament
Disadvantages-
MP’s and governments can be elected on less than the majority. They do not generally win on the majority. In Belfast south in 2015 with 24.5% of the vote and a 60% turnout, Alasdair Mcdonell was elected on only 14.7% of the electorate.
On a national level this can be seen in minority governments. Tony blair was re elected on 35.2% of the vote and weakens mandate, even worse when considering the low turnout in the 2000s- many argue this leads to a democratic deficit. In 1951 Conservatives won an election with 0.8 % less of a vote.
Lack of proportionality
- This is part of the issue on the last point. The system favours concentrated party support- UKIP won almost 3.9 million votes, but only one seat. By contrast the SNP won 56 out of 59 seats on 50% of the cote. Does not acknowledge the rise of smaller parties- between 1945-70 on average 10MPs were elected from smaller parties, in 2015 this was 87.
The winners Bonus
- The winning party enjoys a share of seats greater than that of its share of the vote. This is increased if there are a large number of marginal seats. Hater won majorities in 1983 and 1987 of 144 and 102 on 42% of the vote. The conservatives in 2015 won 50.9% of the seats on 36.9% of the vote.
Limited voter choice-
Limits the choice of voters- one party for each candidate. The safe seats mean that many voters not means little. IT can as a result depress turnout, people feel their attempts are futile. in 2015 the Electoral reform society estimated that 56% of seats (364) were safe. Maidenhead for example where may lead a majority of 29,059 has been conservative since 1885. People resort to tactical voting instead a jeopridsation of democracy. Vote swaps have been set up. Wasted votes could be swapped to someone where it would make a difference.
VOTES OF UNEQUAL VALUE
- Small constituency and variation in turnout cause votes of unequal value. From Wiral wests 55,377 people to Isle of Whited 110,000 odd. And from Twickenham’s 79.5 turnout compared to Glasgow North Easts 53%. in 2010 the Voter power Index set up by the New economics foundation showed that the average UK vote is with 0.25 votes- falling to 0.002 in Knowsley and 5.17 in Afron
What is the Additional member system
The additional member system is a Blair Government introduced voting system in other elections
The additional member system us a hybrid of the systems.
Voter have two votes. One for a constituency representative elected using FPTP. A second for one down a list who 56 out of the 129- proportionality allocated using the d’Hondt system. seats are elected by and 20 out of 60 in Wales. They have 4 year terms.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of the additional member system.
ADVANTAGES
- The top up component adds a promotional element that is intended to be corrective of FPTPs lack of proportion. This allows smaller parties to have a chance. For example the Scottish Conservative party won 0 seats in parliament bu 18 seats in 1999 in the Scottish Assembly
- It maintains the link between MPs and constituents, which many use as a criticism for STV
- IT enables more choice-one can choose a split ticket if they wish to support different candidates.
DISADVATGES-
- It creates two different types of members- some argue that this creates an ‘easier’ job for some. However, there is little evidence to suggest the second category has less legitimacy
- A closed list system us used- the public do not get to choose who to elect- less choice.
Smaller parties achieve less representation than under a fully proportional system. This can be seen in Wales, where the small number of top up seats has meant a lack of proportionality.
What is single transferable vote
- IT uses multi member constituencies
- Voters rank preferentially
In order to be elected a candidate reaches a quota derived using the Droop formula. - The results are derived from this, working proportionally,
It is used in northern Ireland
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF STV
ADVANTAGES-
-There is a close link between votes and seats- this allows for near complete proportionality
- Voter choice is high, it is possible to choose between two members who represent the same party, and the proportional nature means this is not a concern in jeopardising ones belief system
- In Northern Ireland it has created a power sharing agreement in which opposing communities work together and helped bring 30 years of violence to an end.
Disadvantages-
- Not fully proportional- most prominent in smaller member constituencies
- Large multi member constituencies can result in the link between the voter and member becoming weak
- Power sharing governments may bring rival groups together, but are still prone to conflict. The Northern Ireland Executive has been suspended several times including from 2002-2007 for five years. Co-opperation broke down again in 2017. STV did not help more centrist parties in the long term- the reality is that a two party system still dominates.
What is supplementary vote- were is it used
Each voters has a first and second preference.
Any person who reaches 50% on the first vote they are elected, if not a new calculation is done with the second choice (all but the top 2 candidates are eliminated) and the person with the highest proportion is elected.
It is used in London Mayoral elections and the election of Police and crime commissioners
What are the advantages and disadvantages of the supplementary vote
Advantages
- Causes a broad support for the winners Sidiq Kahn has the largest mandate of any Political leader in British history
- it is simple and can keep the MP constituency basis intact within wider elections
- it has allowed independent candidates to win- 12 out of 40 police and crime commissioners were independent in 2012- also Ken Livingston.
Disadvantages-
It is not fully proportional within its context- one individual is elected to office
- The winner does not to get an absolute majority
- Voters need to be able to identify the likely top two candidates, this is not always clear
What are referendums and what is there history within UK politics
A referendum are a vote on a political issue, usually with a yes no response. They are a choice of government and are technically non-binding
The first was used in 1973 when Northen Ireland were asked wether they waned to remain in the UK. The first UK wide vote was in 1975 when we were questioned on wether to remain in the EEC. Since 1997 they have become more common, being a large reason for devolution following public approval.
They are conducted by the electoral commission. An independent body who word the question to make it objective. For example they did not think the question “should the United Kingdom remain a member of the EU’ saying the question should show both sides. They also monitor spending- they were given a pre-determined level of public funding
When are referendums used
To legitimatise the power of a government idea-
This is common since blaire- it is a way to demonstrate public support. The Northern Ireland Good Friday agreement as well as the devolution referendums.
To Get out of a difficult situation
- sometimes used as a result of internal devision- it causes a decision to be ‘made’. Harold Wilson did this in 1975 on the ECC referendum. If he insisted on taking a side he would have faced a very real risk of deciding his party and resulting in resignations.
A result of a deal
- This was done with the liberal democrats and AV in 2011 Following an agreement in negotiations
In responce to pressure-
Cameron did not want an Eu referendum initially. When the demand would not go away he announced a promise on EU membership following the rise of UKIP and pressure. He did make good to this promise- however it resulted in his resignation.
What is the Case for referendums
For-
Referendums Directly involve people in decision making. In a democracy the electorate have a right to be heard- the election form expression is on a wide range of issues that makes it hard for issues to be heard. The virtue is that it allows for a single issue to be isolated- to allow for lack of ambiguity. They may even cut across party lines, which makes an election an unrealistic way of dealing with such an issue.
They keep check on what Lord Halisham passed the UK’s ‘elective dictatorship’- the idea of the dominance of the commons gives undue power to that which is only elected every 5 years. It enhances a sense of democracy as it allows people to have more control over voice- it prevents a remote an unaccountable government. This issue becomes greater when a government is running on a slim majority- which often only 30 something percent of those who voted chose.
By demonstrating clear public support- they will often settle arguments and entrench reforms. This is not to say it could be changed, but it would ignite further debate. The support for Scottish parliaments as well as other initiatives has helped entrench their importance
They can often raise political awareness. The Scottish referendum has been praised for giving opportunity to air a wide range of issues relating to the use. For example the impact on the economy and the future of nuclear weapons.
The conduct has been subject to a entered body. It stops a skewed result as due to unfair influence- i.e. expenditure
What is the case against referendums.
Referendums challenge parliamentary sovereignty. Voters elect representatives to take choices on behalf. People lack the expertise to make decisions with complex consequences for example joining the issue of joining the Euro.
IF arguments are not explained clearly or fairly population participation may be low. This can be seen in the 2011 referendum on AV where the turnout just topped 32%. The electoral commission reported that both sides arguments caused a level of distortion and referendums need greater regulation
Governments choose wether or not to call a referendum. Blair and Brown denied the electorate a say on the Lisbon treaty- which extended the process of european integration- they widths on the ground that previous governments have done similar things. Many argued this was wrong claiming that voters did not consent to the transferring of authority. The government may use a referendum to promote the town political purpose. For example the 2011 referendum to diffuse opposition. There is an argument for there to be circumstances where a referendum can be called.
Low turnout has been the norm. There are some exceptions. This limits the legitimacy of the choice.
The turnout can be influenced by factors nah tare beyond the point. IT can become a protest vote, for example the AV vote being an expression with disapproval to the Liberal democrats
What have the impact of Electoral systems been on government
There has been an increase in minority or coalition governments. However they have been stable, against the predictions of that of the critics of such system
A politics of compromise has developed.`The SNPs in 2011, with a minority government, had to win support and make concessions to the Liberal Democrats and conservatives in order to pass it. It has not ,however, produced the consensual style of politics many argued it would.
