3 Electoral System basics Flashcards
what is the proportional representation system?
an electoral system in which the no of seats won corresponds closely with the proportion of the total votes cast for each party.
what is a proportional system?
this system gurantees a close and reliable relationship bet the seats won by parties and the votes they gained in the election.
what is a non proportional system?
when larger parties typically win a higher prop of seats than the votes they gain in the election. this increases the chances of a single party gaining a parliamentary maj and being able to govern on its own.
divided into two systems: 1. plurality 2. majority
what is the plurality system?
one where the winner only has to obtain more votes than any of their opponents.
- the candidate who receives the most votes in a constituency wins the seat, even if they don’t secure over 50% of the votes.
- eg if Candidate A gets 40% of the votes, Candidate B gets 35%, and Candidate C gets 25%, Candidate A would win, despite not having a majority (over half) of the votes.
what is the majority system?
one where the winner has to get an absolute majority (>50%) of the votes.
- so winning more than 50% of the vote.
what is a safe seat?
a seat in which the incumbent has a considerable maj over the closest rival and which is largely safe from swings in voting choice.
- the same pol party retains the seat from election to election.
- a maj of seats in west min constituencies are safe seats.
what is a hung parl?
is when no single political party wins a majority in the hoc.
- know as ‘a situation of no overall control’
- often leads to coalition gov or a confidence and supply agreement.
what is a confidence and supply agreement?
one whereby a party or indep mems of parl will support the gov in motions of confidence and appropriation or budget (supply) vote, by either voting in favour or abstaining.
what is a marginal seat?
a seat that is held by the incumbent with a small majority.
- imp as they are where the outcomes of elections are decided.
- focus of most election campaigns
- only require a small swing to change hands
what is the opposite of a safe seat?
a marginal seat
what is a minority gov?
a gov that enters office but whoch does not have a maj of seats in parl (legislature).
- makes passing legislation difficult
- gov may enter into a confidence and supply agreement w another party where they will agree to support the gov in key votes in parl.
- less formal than a coalition as there is no joint policies or ministerial positions like in a coaliton.
what is a coalition gov?
a gov that is formed of more than one political party,.
- may contain ministers frpm two or more parties in prop to the seats won
- rare but had one bet cons and libs from 2010-2015
how should electoral systems be judged?
- variety and choice
- proportionality
- local rep
- abilitiy to provide a strong gov
electoral systems perform a vital function in what?
in democracy by turning votes cast in elections into seats.
