ADDITIONAL MEMBER SYSTEM Flashcards
WHAT IS THE AMS?
HYBRID ELECTORAL SYSTEM WHICH COMBINES 2 TYPES OF VOTING : FPTP AND PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION.
HOW DO THE 2 TYPES OF VOTING WORK IN AMS?
- VOTER SELECTS A CONSTIUENCY REPRESENTATIVE IN A SIMPLE PLURALITY SYSTEM (FPTP)
- 2ND VOTE APPORTIONED TO A PARTY LIST FOR AN ADDITIONAL MEMBER.
WHERE IS AMS USED?
SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT
WELSH SENEDD
GREATER LONDON ASSEMBLY (GLA)
WHEN WAS THE LAST SENEDD ELECTION?
6TH MAY 2021
WHAT IS AN EXAMPLE CONSTIUENCY RESULT?
ARFON - WINNER WAS SIAN GWENLLIAN WITH A PLAID CYMRU HOLD.
PLAID CYMRU : 63.3%
LABOUR : 23.5%
TORIES : 8.3%
WHAT IS AN EXAMPLE REGIONAL RESULT?
NORTH WALES WHERE 4 ADDITIONAL MEMBERS WHERE ELECTED.
1. LABOUR WON 32% SO CAROLYN THOMAS WAS ELECTED
2. TORIES WON 30% SO MARK ISHERWOOD AND SAM ROWLANDS WERE ELECTED
3. PLAID CYMRU WON 24 %SO LLYR GRUFFYDD WAS ELECTED.
WHAT WAS THE MOST RECENT OVERALL RESULTS?
- LABOUR WON 39.9%, 27 CONSTIUENCY SEATS AND 30 TOTAL SEATS.
- TORIES WON 26.1%. 8 CONSTIUENCY SEATS AND 16 TOTAL SEATS
- PLAID CYMRU WON 20.3%, 5 CONSTIUENCY SEATS AND 13 TOTAL SEATS
- LIB DEMS WON 4.9% , 0 CONSTIUENCY SEATS AND 1 TOTAL SEAT.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF AMS?
- MORE PROPORTIONAL THAN FPTP
- MAINTAINS CONSTIUENCY LINK
- WIDE CHOICE
WHAT IS THE EXPLANATION FOR AMS BEING MORE PROPORTIONAL THAN FPTP?
THE TOP UP COMPONENT INTRODUCES A PROPORTIONAL ELEMENT ACTING AS A CORRECTIVE TO THE FPTP PART OF THE SYSTEM.
HOW IS THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS A PARTY SHOULD BE ALLOCATED FROM THE PARTY LISTS DETERMINED?
d’HONDT FORMULA
HOW DOES THE D’HONDT FORMULA LEAD TO GREATER PROPORTIONALITY?
MEANS THAT THE DISTRIBUTION OF SEATS IN THE LEGISLATURE REFLECTS THE PERCENTAGE OF VOTES EACH PARTY RECEIVES REDUCING THE DISTORTION SEEN IN PURE FPTP SYSTEMS WHERE A PARTY CAN WIN A LARGE MAJORITY OF SEATS WITHOUT A MAJORITY OF VOTES.
WHAT IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE GREATER PROPORTIONALITY THAT AMS BRINGS?
IN SCOTLAND, THE TORIES WON 0 SEATS IN 1997 WESTMINSTER ELECTIONS UNDER FPTP BUT THE LIST ENABLED THEM TO WIN 18 SEATS IN THE FIRST SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS IN 1999.
HOW DOES AMS MAINTAIN A CONSTIUENCY LINK?
FPTP ELEMENTS PROVIDES DIRECT LOCAL REPRESENTATION. CONSTIUENCY REPRESENTATIVES ARE ELECTED TO REPRESENT A SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHICAL AREA GIVING VOTERS A PERSONAL CONNECTION TO THEIR REPRESENTATIVES AND ENSURING LOCAL ISSUES ARE ADDRESSED IN THE LEGISLATURE.
HOW DOES AMS LEAD TO WIDER CHOICE?
VOTERS CAN VOTE FOR A SPLIT TICKET BY USING THEIR CONSTIUENCY VOTE TO CHOOSE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM 1 PARTY AND THEIR TOP UP VOTE TO SUPPORT ANOTHER PARTY.
HOW DOES AMS MINIMISE WASTED VOTES?
IF A VOTER’S PREFERRED CANDIDATE DOESN’T WIN THE LOCAL CONSTIUENCY SEAT, THEIR PARTY LIST VOTE STILL COUNTS ALLOWING THEIR VOTE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE ELECTION OF ADDITIONAL MEMBERS.
