Definitions Flashcards
Constituency
A constituency is a group of voters in a specified area who elect a representative to a legislative body. For example, in the UK there are currently 650 parliamentary constituencies each of which elects Member of Parliament to represent them in the House of Commons.
Additional Member System
The additional member system (AMS), also known as multi-member proportional (MMP), is a hybrid election system. It combines the first-past-the-post (FPTP) and party list voting systems used in the Scottish parliament, Welsh assembly and the Greater London Authority.
Coalition Government
A coalition government is one which is formed by more than one political parties. The legislative programme and other terms of the coalition is normally set out in a formal coalition agreement.
Direct democracy
With direct democracy, all individuals express their opinions themselves and not through representatives acting on their behalf. Direct democracy can be seen in present-day politics through the use of referendums.
Participation
The extent to which people participate or engage in the political system, for example through party membership, voting or other forms of activism.
First Past the Post
First-past-the-post is used to elect MPs to the House of Commons and for local elections in England and Wales. Voters put a cross (X) next to their preferred candidate on a ballot paper, which are then counted. The candidate that has received the most votes is elected.
Marginal Seat
A marginal seat is a parliamentary seat which the incumbent holds after achieving a relatively small majority in the previous election. A small swing in votes from one party to another in a marginal seat would make it likely that the seat would be lost by the incumbent. Marginal seats are perceived as the most significant to the result of a General Election, since most parliamentary seats are “safe”.
Safe seat
A safe seat is a parliamentary seat that is likely to be retained with a large majority in an election.
