Chap 13

Question 1

What term describes how votes are translated into seats?

Answer 1

ELECTORAL FORMULA

Question 2

What are the two roles that elections serve in a democracy?

Answer 2

• PRACTICAL role

- SYMBOLIC role

Question 3

What is the name of the system where the candidates or parties which receive the most votes win?

Answer 3

MAJORITARIAN ELECTORAL SYSTEM

Question 4

What is the most commonly used majoritarian electoral system in the world?

Answer 4

SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICT PLURALITY system (SMDP)

“First past the post”

Question 5

What is the greatest strength of SMDP?

Answer 5

Its simplicity

Question 6

What is the greatest criticism of SMDP?

Answer 6

It produces extremely unrepresentatve outcomes at both local and national levels

(locally less than 50% will prob support winning candidate)

Question 7

In 1983 what % of the votes did the Alliance receive and how many seats did this translate into?

Answer 7

25. 4% Votes

3. 5% Seats

Question 8

What are 2 other criticisms of SMDP?

Answer 8

1. Encourages STRATEGIC VOTING

2. Encourages creation of ETHNIC parties - can produce countries in Africa that are divided into geographic stongholds

Question 9

What is another name for the AV (alternative vote) system?

Answer 9

Instant-runoff (IRV)

Question 10

What country is most famous for using AV?

Answer 10

Australia

• Candidates are ranked on the ballot paper

Question 11

What are the advantages of AV?

Answer 11

1. Voters have greater opportunity to CONVEY PREFERENCES.
2. Less incentive for STRATEGIC VOTING
3. Major parties create deals with smaller parties for second preferences “PREFERENCE SWAPPING”

Question 12

As a result of the need to generate broad-based support, what countries have AV?

Answer 12

Number of divided countries such as BiH, Fiji, SA

Question 13

What are the problems with AV?

Answer 13

1. COMPLICATED

2. Winner may not have the largest number of first pref votes by some margin

Question 14

What is the electoral system is employed in France to elect the president?

Answer 14

Two-Round System (TRS)

Question 15

What happens in TRS?

Answer 15

If no candidate gets maj in first round then top two have a second runoff election 1-2 weeks later

Question 16

Why did Sri Lanka abandon plans to adopt TRS?

Answer 16

Cost - expensive to run second elections + SECURITY of running an additional election in a divided country

Adopted SV instead

Question 17

How does a Supplementary Vote (SV) system work?

Answer 17

Like TRS but uses second votes in runoff instead of having a second ballot

Question 18

What systems sees voters cast a single candidate-centered vote in a multimember seat?

Answer 18

Single nontransferable vote (SNTV)

Question 19

What are the 3 main problems with SNTV?

Answer 19

1. WEAKEN political parties by creating incentives for intraparty fighting and FACTIONALIZATION
2. Encourages CLIENTELISTIC BEHAVIOUR as candidates can guarantee election with specific number of votes
3. Tends to favour INCUMBENT and WELL-ORGANISED parties

Question 20

Which country had a number of issues with SNTV?

Answer 20

Afghanistan

• SNTV selected by Karzai - said that party affiliations could not be shown on ballot papers
• In Kabul over 400 candidates on the ballot paper
• In Kandahar votes being bought for as little as $1

Question 21

Where is block voting used in the UK?

Answer 21

In some local elections

Voters have as many votes as there are candidates