Content Shitttt Flashcards
Function of Elections
Form governments
> One party normally wins the majority in the HofC
> With the exception of coalitions (1974 and 2010)
Ensure Representation
> Elections link politicians and constituencies
> Constituents’ concerns are articulated and addressed
> Link the government to the people
> Hold the government accountable
> The face of the constituency
Upholding Legitimacy
> By voting
> The public demonstrate their consent to being governed
> An important aspect of maintaining political stability
Types of Representation
Burkean Theory (Trusteeship) > Representatives make decisions using their own superior knowledge and education and experience
The Doctrine of the Mandate
> MPs make decisions based on their constituents’ wishes
Descriptive Representation
> Representatives should resemble the group they represent
Advantages of FPTP
Retains the MP to Constituency link
> Allows the electorate to have a voice in the HofC
Simple to use and easy to understand
> Simple cross on the ballot paper to vote in an election
Produces a strong and stable government
> Single party government
People are content with FPTP
> AV Referendum 2011 (voted no)
Disadvantages of FPTP
Disproportional
> % votes doesn’t equal % seats
Tactical Voting
> Voting with an agenda
Wasted Votes
> Voting for a losing party = wasted
Advantages of Closed Party List
Highly proportional result No wasted votes No safe seats Very simple ballot paper Party list of candidates could be structured to increase the diversity of representatives
Disadvantages of Closed Party List
No clear link between MP and their constituency Limited voter choice > No say over the MPs Great power to the party leaders > Tough on independent minded MPs Likely to result in a coalition
Advantages of Single Transferable Vote (STV)
Proportional result Much greater voter choice Fewer wasted votes Fairer to third parties Eliminates safe seats Eliminates the need for tactical voting Gives constituents a choice of MPs to contact
Disadvantages of Single Transferable Vote (STV)
More complicated system > Longer > Confusing Ballot papers could be lengthy Could lead to alphabetical voting Coalitions are more likely Ends the single MP to Constituency link
Advantages of Alternative Vote (AV)
MPs must win a majority (not just a plurality) > At least 50% MPs have to campaign more broadly > To appeal to more voters Keeps the existing constituency borders Reduces the number of safe seats Reduces the need for tactical voting
Disadvantages of Alternative Vote (AV)
Even less proportional than FPTP
Leads to more coalitions
Unequal votes
> Some people get their votes counted more than once
Might elect the least unpopular candidate
Advantages of Supplementary Vote (SV)
MPs have to campaign more broadly > Appeal to more voters Keeps the existing constituency borders Keeps the clear link between an MP and their constituency Fairly simple system to understand
Disadvantages of Supplementary Vote (SV)
Not a proportional system
Doesn’t eliminate tactical voting
> Voters guess who the top candidates are
Doesn’t ensure that the winner has a 50% majority
Advantages of AMS and AV+
Hybrid/Mixed Electoral Systems
Broadly proportional result
Retains the clear MP to Constituency link
Gives voters greater choice
> No wasted votes
Even if one vote is wasted, the other will count
Disadvantages of AMS AND AV+
Hybrid/Mixed Electoral Systems
Create two classes of MPs > Some are accountable to the electorate > Some are accountable to the party Gives party leaders lots of influence More complicated than FPTP > Lead to incorrectly completed ballots
Factors that influence Voting Behaviour
Gender
> More women used to vote Conservative than men
> Now more men vote Conservative than women
> More men used to vote Labour than women
> Now more women vote Labour than men
Ethnicity
> More whites vote for Conservatives + Lib Dems + UKIP + Green
> More ethnic minorities vote for Labour
Age
> Young voters = more in favour of equality
> Older voters = more conservative + sceptical about social changes
Region
> Labour = North East + North West + Yorkshire and Humber + London
> Conservative = East Midlands + West Midlands + Eastern + South East + South West
Features of elections
Held on general issues Vote for a candidate/party A feature of representative democracy Used to fill a representative office/form a government Regular and legally required
Features of Referendums
Held on specific issues Vote yes/no A feature of direct democracy Used to make policy decisions They are decided by the government
Advantages of Proportional Systems
No wasted votes
Few safe seats
Government elected would represent the majority not a minority
Tends to produce a more representative group of MPs
Avoids small number of marginal seats which can control the result
Parties where the vote is scattered (e.g. UK/Green) still get seats
Disadvantages of Proportional Systems
Could lose the MP to Constituency link
Constant Coalitions - minority parties may hold a lot of power
Accountability could be lost
Undemocratic deals made during coalitions
Parties have a lot of power over candidate order
Advantages of Majoritarian Systems
Retains MP to Constituency link Winner needs a 50% majority Strong and stable government with majorities Easy system to understand No wasted votes
Disadvantages of Majoritarian Systems
Can encourage electoral parties
Favours centre points
Features of Closed Party List
Number of large multi member constituencies
> For European Parliament elections, there are 12 regions, each with 3-10 members
Political parties complete lists of candidates to place before the electorate
> Descending order of preference
Electorate for the political party, not the candidate
> Closed List (the electorate doesn’t know the order of MPs)
Parties are allocated seats in direct proportion to the votes they gain in each regional constituency
> They fill seats from every party list
Features of Single Transferable Vote (STV)
Multimember constituencies
> Northern Ireland Assembly has 18 Constituencies, each returning 6 members
Political parties are able to put up as many candidates as there are seats to fill in each constituency
Electorate vote in order of preference (1,2,3….)
Candidates are elected if they achieve a quote of votes
> Calculated on the basis of the Droop Formula
Votes are counted accounting to preference
> If any candidate achieves the quota, additional votes are counted according to second or subsequent preferences
If seats remain unfilled, the candidate with the fewest votes drops out and his/her votes are redistributed according to second or subsequent preferences
Features of FPTP
Disproportionality
Systematic Biases
> Single party
> Distribution of support
Two Party System
> Politics is dominated by two major parties
> Hard for smaller parties to get any substantial votes
Single party Government
> Provides the country with a strong, stable, united government
Landslide Effect
> Tends to produce a winner’s bonus
Features of Elections
Elections are central to the theory and practice of democracy in the UK
Based on: > Universal adult suffrage > One person, one vote > The secret ballot > Competition between candidates and parties
The main link between the government and the public
> Voting is the most important form of political participation
Opportunity to vote has increased significantly in recent years
2015 General Election Statistics
Turnout = 66.6% > England = 65.8% > Wales = 65.7% > Scotland = 71.1% > Northern Ireland = 58.1%
Conservative Party
> Led by David Cameron
> 36.8% vote = 11,300,109
> 50.8% MPs = 330
Labour Party
> Led by Ed Miliband
> 30.5% vote = 9,347,324
> 35.7% MPs = 232
Scottish National Party (SNP)
> Led by Nicola Sturgeon
> 4.7% vote = 1,454,436
> 8.6% MPs = 56
Liberal Democrats
> Led by Nick Clegg
> 7.9% vote = 2,415,862
> 1.2% MPs = 8
UK Independence Party (UKIP)
> Led by Nigel Farage
> 12.7% vote = 3,881,099
> 0.2% MPs = 1
Green Party
> Led by Natalie Bennett
> 3.8% vote = 1,157,613
> 0.2% MPs = 1
Features of Alternative Vote (AV)
Single member constituencies
Disproportionate result
Can number candidates in order of preference
> Gives the electorate more choice
Winning candidate needs a majority of the vote
> At least 50%
Features of Additional Member System (AMS)
AMS is the hybrid system used in the UK for Scottish and Welsh elections
Its purpose was to protect the FPTP constituency link while introducing proportionality
Constituency Vote
> FPTP
> Return an MSP to Scottish Parliament
> 73 Constituency MSPs
Regional Vote
> Closed Party List
> 56 Regional MSPs
Reasons for Class Dealignment
Social class has become much more complex > Decline in traditional industries > Rise of the 'new' working class
Trade Union membership has declined
> Home ownership has increased
Increasing affluence
> Lack of solidarity among the lower socio-economic class
More mobility between social classes
Reasons for Partisan Dealignment
Increased Education
> Voters are more likely to question party loyalties
Media
> Voters have greater source of political information
Ideological Change
> Part policies and ideas have changed a lot (especially since 1980s)
Decline in social capital
> Society has become more complex and individualistic
> Social loyalties have declined
Media Impact on Voting Behaviour
Perceived as influential in the past, although with the rise of new media, the impact on voting behaviour seems to have changed
Media can set the agenda
> Particularly on emotive topics like immigration
> May indirectly affect the way that people vote
Politicians need to be able to represent themselves well on television
> Particularly with TV debates and interviews
Theories of voting behaviour
Sociological Model
> Emphasises the:
> Long-term factors
> Structural factors
Party Identification Model
> Voters identify and emotionally engage with parties
> The party they vote for becomes part of their identity
Issue-voting Model
(Rational Choice Model)
Explaining Low Turnout
Predictability
> Elections have become more predictable (thanks to polls)
> Some people don’t vote because they don’t think their vote will impact on the result
Indistinguishable Parties
> Three main parties’ policies don’t differ that extensively
Lack of trust in politicians
> Caused by a series of scandals
> Especially the Expenses Scandal in 2008
Reduced moral obligation
> People feel less morally bound to vote compared to society immediately after WW2
> The ability to vote is now taken for granted
Declining Loyalty
> Many people no longer feel any loyalty towards a party
> Feel less inclined to vote
