different voting systems Flashcards
strengths of fptp?
quick results, constituency link, simplicity, creates strong government
Weaknesses of fptp?
surplus votes, wasted votes, minority mandate, proportionality, fair to all political parties, recent turnout
What is the alternative vote system?
majoritarian system, voters rank order candidates, low chance of extremism, in a landslide may be less proportional than fptp, winning candidate must get 50%
What is the list system?
proportional system, vote for the party not the candidate, no wasted votes, can create more female m.p, high risk of extremism
What is the single transferable vote system?
proportional system, multi member constituencies, candidate gains a seat in the constituency if they achieve a quota of votes, voters rank order the candidates, quota decided by “droop formula”
What is the droop formula- STV?
(number of voters/number of available seats) +1
if no candidate reaches this quota then losing candidate are eliminated and preferences reallocated
once a candidate has reached the quota extra votes are reallocated to 2nd preference
What are the advantages of the alternative vote?
all MPs elected have received 50% endorsement from their constituents
reduces need for tactical voting, low chance of extremism- extreme parties unlikely to receive 2nd preference votes, less wasted and surplus votes
What are the disadvantages of the alternative vote?
most popular vote candidate in a constituency may not win
not proportional representation- in a landslide may produce more disproportionate result than fptp.
takes longer to count than fptp.
What is the list system and how does it work?
proportional system, parties produce a hierarchical list of potential MPs for all the available seats, voters vote for a party not a candidate- total number of votes counted nationally for each party, candidates then allocated to seats around the country- they may not have a local connection to the seats they are allocated
What are the advantages of list system?
most proportional system that could be used, no wasted or surplus votes, quick result, simple system, can be used to ensure more women and ethnic minorities become representatives, encourages high turnout
What are the disadvantages of the list system?
higher risk of extremism- system used in Weimar Germany
no constituency link, almost guarantees coalitions where parties are deciding who is in govt x the voters, unstable coalitions- high frequency of elections
What is the supplementary vote system?
majoritarian system, 2 columns in ballot paper- put an x for first choice and an x for second choice, if one candidate gets 50% they are elected, if not all the candidates apart from the top to are eliminated and votes are reallocated until one candidate receives 50%
What are the advantages of the supplementary vote system?
encourages strategic campaign to target second choice votes, increase vote choice- first and second choice may count, simpler than AV but similar to it
What are the disadvantages of the supplementary vote system?
can lead to wasted votes, favours main parties not smaller ones, encourages tactical voting
What is the additional member system?
hybrid system, majoritarian and proportionate
voters have 2 ballot papers. On the first is a list of candidates who want to be local MP, voters are marked preferred with a cross, on 2nd ballot paper is a list of parties who want seats in parliament, each party will publish list of candidates in advance
Where is the additional member system used?
used to elect Scottish parliament, Welsh and London assembly.
Scotland voters elect 73mps from the west minister- style first ballot paper and 50 from the 2nd ballot paper
What are the advantages and disadvantages of AMS?
advan-more voter choice, highly proportional, fair to all parties, no wasted votes
disadvan- confusing, not as proportional as list of STV, high chance of coalition
