Elections

Question 1

What 5 functions do elections have in the UK?

Answer 1

1. Representation
2. Choosing a government
3. Participation
4. Citizenship education
5. Accountability

Question 2

Name 3 different types of voting systems

Answer 2

1. Plurality
2. Majoritarian
3. Proportional Representation

Question 3

What is a plurality system?

Answer 3

The party with the most votes wins

Question 4

What is a majoritarian system?

Answer 4

A party must have at least 50% of the votes to win

Question 5

What is a proportional representation system?

Answer 5

The parties should proportionally represent the distribution of the votes

Question 6

How do you win with a plurality?

Answer 6

You win one more vote than your opponent

Question 7

How many seats do you need to form a government

Answer 7

You need 326 seats (325 +1) in order to form a majority

Question 8

How do parties enforce voting?

Answer 8

The party whip system

Question 9

Who won the 1997 General Election?

Answer 9

Labour

Question 10

How many seats did the 1997 Government have?

Answer 10

418 Seats (Tony Blair)

Question 11

Who won the 2010 General Election?

Answer 11

No one… (coalition of Conservative and Lib Dem’s)

Question 12

How many seats did the Tory-Lib Dem coalition win in 2010?

Answer 12

306 (David Cameron) + 62 (Nick Clegg)

Question 13

What are 4 negatives of a first past the post system?

Answer 13

1. Smaller parties do not get represented proportionally
2. Larger parties get represented disproportionately
3. Votes are wasted as any votes not for the winning party, or in surplus of the winner’s requirements are wasted
4. Tactical voting occurs

Question 14

Give an example of a smaller party being represented disproportionally in FPTP

Answer 14

In 2019 67 seats were won by a majority of 5% or less

Question 15

Give an example of a larger party being represented disproportionately in FPTP

Answer 15

In 2005 Labour won 35% of the vote and 55% of the seats

Question 16

What are 3 strengths of FPTP

Answer 16

1. It produces a majority government, avoiding coalition governments, allowing for strong governments that can easily pass legislation
2. It prevents radical parties coming to power
3. It is a simple and easily understandable system

Question 17

Give an example of a strong government

Answer 17

Blair 1997 won 418 seats

Question 18

Give an example of extremist parties finding it hard to find seats

Answer 18

BNP got 500,000 votes and 0 seats

Question 19

Give 2 Majoritarian voting systems

Answer 19

1. Alternative Vote
2. Supplementary vote

Question 20

Give 2 Proportional Voting Systems

Answer 20

• Single Transferable vote
• Additional Member system

Question 21

Give an example of an SV election

Answer 21

• In the 2016 London Mayoral election Sadiq Khan won the first round with a plurality of 44.2% (which was not a majority) thus a second round of counting took place
• All the 2nd preference votes apart from Khan and Goldsmith’s were added on
• This gave Khan a majority of 56% - enough to win the election
• Ever since the first London mayoral election (2000) no one has won a majority off of the first round of counting

Question 22

Give an example of an AV election

Answer 22

• Labour leadership election
• Each round the bottom candidate’s votes are eliminated, and their second votes are added onto the remaining candidates

Question 23

Give 3 advantages of a majoritarian system

Answer 23

1. There is greater legitimacy
2. The electors are better represented by the outcome
3. There are less wasted votes

Question 24

Give 3 disadvantages of the majoritarian system

Answer 24

1. The system is not proportional - sometimes less proportional than FPTP
2. It could be that the candidate with the most first preference votes actually ends up losing
3. Tactical voting is still used with second preference votes

Question 25

How does Single Transferable Vote work?

Answer 25

- Candidates are ranked in order of preference - If a candidate has more number 1 votes than the quota they are elected - Any votes over the amount required for the quota are transferred to the voter’s second choice - If no one reaches the quota, the least popular candidate is eliminated and the votes of the people who voted for them are transferred to their second preference - This process continues until every vote is used ‘ - Once all the votes are counted, every candidate who reached the quota is elected

Question 26

Name 3 benefits of Single Transferable Vote?

Answer 26

- Greater representation - More voter choice - It works well in Northern Ireland as it prevents one party from completely controlling parliament

Question 27

Name 3 negatives of Single Transferable Vote?

Answer 27

- It is very complicated - Constituencies are large which means there is less local representation - It would not work well in England as broad coalitions would be required

Question 28

Give an example of where Single Transferable Vote is used?

Answer 28

Northern Irish Assembly

Question 29

How does Additional Member System Work?

Answer 29

- Voters are given 2 ballot papers - On the first ballot paper voters vote for an individual FPTP candidate - On the second ballot paper voters vote for a specific party that they want to win seats - The FPTP seats are then assigned, and additional members are added from the party list to receive their fair share of representation in parliament

Question 30

Name 3 benefits of AMS

Answer 30

- Greater proportionality - Helps smaller parties have a greater say and win more votes, as voters are no longer concerned that their votes will be wasted since parties are guaranteed their percentage on the second ballot - Voters are able to vote for more specific candidates that they agree with, and then can aid their prefered party by voting for them in the party list

Question 31

Name 3 negatives of AMS

Answer 31

1. It is complicated and may result in lower turnouts 2. Voters have less of a say of the individual members of parliament as they cannot choose the politicians on the party list which creates less accountability 3. It creates two classes of MPs which may induce tensions

Question 32

List 5 factors that affect voting behaviour in order of importance

Answer 32

1. Age 2. Ethnicity 3. Location 4. Class 5. Gender

Question 33

How does age affect voting behaviour?

Answer 33

- Younger people tend to be more left wing whereas older people tend to be more right wing - As age increases by 10 years, the likelihood that an individual would vote Conservative increases by 9 points - In the 2015 GE, in the 70+ age bracket 69% of the vote went Tory, and in the 18-19 age bracket 66% went Labour - 47 is the age which voters are mostly likely to move their support from Labour to Conservative

Question 34

How does ethnicity affect voting behaviour?

Answer 34

- White people lean more right, ethnic minorities lean more left - 2015 GE UKIP received 14% of the white vote and 2% of the minority vote - Labour received 65% of the minority vote