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Politics > elections > Flashcards

elections Flashcards

1
Q

what is the debate over electoral reform in the UK?

A

Makes Votes Matter was formed and campaigned for a proportional not majoritarian electoral system in general elections. many political parties supported the replacement - 2019, Lib Dems, SNP, Brexit Party, impact the nature of government, voting behaviour

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2
Q

what electoral systems are used in the UK? (ALL)

A

FPTP, PR, AMS, STV, SV, AV

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3
Q

what is FPTP?

A

majoritarian system, candidate with the largest number of votes win the seats

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4
Q

what are the advantages of FPTP?

A

produces clear results, resulting in a majority government not a coalition.
produces local links with their MPs, therefore can be held directly accountable for their actions
straightforward system, quick in producing election results

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5
Q

what are the disadvantages of FPTP?

A

it is not proportional, the number of seats to the % of vote. UKIP won 3.8 million votes but got 1 seat.
many wasted votes because of safe seats
elective dictatorship
can discourage participation - votes are wasted
candidate not directly chosen by voters
discriminates smaller parties

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6
Q

What is proportional list?

A

instead of electing one person per constituency with larger constituency areas
start of each round, total votes are divided by number of seats already won - D’Hondt formula

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7
Q

what are the advantages of PR?

A

proportional - Brexit party won 39% gained 40% of seats
less chance of wasted votes
guarantee the favoured candidate is chosen
helped third parties to be voted

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8
Q

what are the disadvantages of PR?

A

system is less straightforward with there being multiple rounds
should promote participation but European elections have low turnouts 2019 - 36.9%
no party secures a majority - form a coalition
weak link to the local constituents

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9
Q

what is AMS? additional member system

A

hybrid system, mix of FPTP and PR. currently used in Welsh and Scottish parliaments. 2 ballots one for candidates other for party.

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10
Q

what are the advantages of AMS?

A

largely proportional 25% of seats with 24% of the vote - Scottish conservative party
less chance of wasted votes
local links
third parties have greater representation - split ticketing

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11
Q

what are the disadvantages of AMS?

A

complicated system - requires 2 ballot papers
produces a minority government or coalition
no clear proof that turnout increases

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12
Q

what is STV? single transferable vote

A

In Northern Ireland elections
multi-member constituencies where voters rank their choice in preference order

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13
Q

what are the advantages of STV?

A

proportional system
preferential voting can reduce wasted votes
local links
greater incentive to vote for independent or minor parties

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14
Q

what are the disadvantages of STV?

A

can causing donkey voting - where they randomly chose an order
not a straightforward system
produces a coalition or multiparty government

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15
Q

what is AV?

A

election of chairs to parliamentary select committee
voter puts number on candidate for their favourite and does that for their second. then if they have won 50% rounds stop. if nobody gets over 50% the last candidate is eliminated

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16
Q

what are the advantages of AV?

A

Not much wasted votes, if there is a second vote then the votes are redistributed
The mostly likely to produce a single party government
Retains local links with constituents
Favours candidates with a broad appeal
Easy to understand
Removes the temptation of tactical voting

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17
Q

what are the disadvantages of AV?

A

absence of wasted votes should encourage participation
but there is not evidence as no European countries use AV

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18
Q

what are the arguments for FPTP to be replaced for general elections?

A

STV and PR reflect vote share better, FPTP distorts results.
party with the most votes does not always gain the most seats.
does not always produce a strong government 2017.
discriminates third parties
votes are wasted
encourages tactical voting, YouGov survey results.

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19
Q

what are the arguments against FPTP to be replaced for general elections?

A

traditionally produced strong and stable governments
easy to understand when voting.
alternative systems still have flaws.
two dominant parties, forces those parties to have a relatively broad appeal and basis of support.
quick and straightforward to count votes

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20
Q

what are the main factors in voting behaviour in the UK?

A

personality of party leader
relevance to the manifesto
influence of the campaign and media
voter profile
own political views
performance of current government

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21
Q

what are the recent trends in voting behaviour in the UK?

A

class dealignment - class becoming more difficult to determine and less important
partisan dealignment - become less classed based, fewer think that a party is for people like them, more of a political consumer, shopping around
swing voters - open to voting between different parties when they feel like it.
rise of identity politics - falls on women, minority ethnic groups, immigrants and LGBTQ+

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22
Q

what are people most likely to vote for depending on their age, gender etc. in the UK?

A

age - those older vote for conservative, younger vote labour
gender - women more likely to vote labour, men conservatives
ethnicity - minority - labour less hostile to immigrants compared to conservatives

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23
Q

what are the key elections in the UK?

A

19823, thatcher’s 2nd term
1997, Blair
2019 - Johnson

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24
Q

what is the role of the media in the UK elections?

A

TV has to remain neutral
bulk of media influence fell to newspapers 1979
The Sun encouraged to vote for Maggie
Gave Thatcher a strong media presence over Michael Foot
The Sun switched allegiances in 1997 to back Blair instead of Major
the Sun wot won it
emergence of social media helped Johnson and Corbyn in 2019
advertising on social media, YouTube, Facebook
younger voters were more likely to engage with social media, open to influence from posts and political adverts.
2010 first TV debate
2019 both Conservatives and Labour worked together to exclude SNP and Lib Dems

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25
Q

name referendums in the UK?

A

1997 Devolution referendum for Scotland and Wales
1998 London Mayor and Greater London authority assembly
2004 Northeast England devolution referendum 78% N
2011 AV referendum
2011 Wales to extend powers to the Welsh Assembly
2014 Scottish independence
2016 Brexit
2023 Scotland asked Westminster for a referendum refused

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26
Q

what are the advantages of referendums ?

A

engage voters in decision-making, increase participation turnout
offer direct link between policy making and national will
settle controversial arguments in a more final matter than a parliamentary vote

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27
Q

what are the disadvantages of referendums?

A

don’t allow voters finer decisions beyond yes/no
undermine and weaken representative democracy
may not be easily understood by majority of voters - lack of political education or misinformation - Brexit
political debate can be bitter and devisive
‘not a one and done’ many wanted a second brexit referendum
turnout can be low - AV 42%

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28
Q

what are the main elections in the US?

A

presidential election, congressional elections, primaries/caucuses, direct democracy

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29
Q

what is gerrymandering?

A

deliberate manipulation of electoral districts for party advantage at elections.

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30
Q

what is the electoral system?US

A

electoral college, majoritarian, it is state based and does not reflect the overall popular vote across the country.

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31
Q

in some states the congressional elections use different electoral system, name the state and what they do?

A

Georgia - top-two election for its senate seat, candidate try to get 50% or a run off race happens
California - top two candidates are selected in a state primary, then go head to head in the senate election
Maine - uses a ranked choice system

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32
Q

how does the electoral college system work?

A

indirect method, each state receives as allocation of ECVs equivalent to the size of their congressional delegation.
minimum of 3 ECVs
California - 54 ECVs

33
Q

how effective is the electoral system - strengths? US

A

huge number of elections and elected offices, many opportunities for participation
ensures clear results, single party control
it reflects the federal nature of US
primaries and caucuses enable voters to play a role in selecting candidates
ensures smaller states are not overlooked

34
Q

how effective is the electoral college - weaknesses?

A

suffer from ‘voter fatigue’ - lead to voter apathy
tends to favour 2 parties that dominate the system
deadlock and gridlock - one party controls one chamber
gerrymandering
primaries and caucuses - encourages divisions
electoral distortions, exaggerate the power of the smaller states

35
Q

what are the main characteristics of election campaigns? US

A

constant campaigning
emphasis on individual candidates
emphasis on getting out the vote
focus on swing states

36
Q

what is the swing movement?

A

more money is spent in swing states.
little energy spent on safe states such as Texas and California
Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina - emphasised since they hold their primary or caucus early to build up momentum

37
Q

what states are known as swing states?

A

Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, Florida and Virginia

38
Q

what is super Tuesday?

A

the majority of the states hold primaries and caucuses

39
Q

how much money was spent in 2020 for elections?

A

$14 billion
Bernie Sanders - $46 million in donations in February in 2020

40
Q

what is the purpose of primaries and caucuses?

A

select delegates who are pledged to vote for a particular candidates at their national nominating conventions
primaries are also used to select party candidates for state and congressional elections

41
Q

what are open, closed and semi-open/closed system primaries?

A

closed - allow voters pre-registered to a particular party to participate in the primary
open - allow all registered voters to vote in any party’s primary
semi - voters pre-registered with a party can only vote in that party’s party, but independents can choose on polling day

42
Q

what are invisible primaries?

A

when potential candidates may announce their intention to run, set up a campaign team, raise their public profile

43
Q

what are the advantages of primary/caucus system?

A

boost opportunities for political participation
less well-known candidates can build up momentum and name recognition
road test candidates qualities for office
caucuses allow for voters to discuss the merits and weaknesses of candidates and promote political engagement

44
Q

what are the disadvantages of primary/caucus system?

A

increases focus on candidates rather party or policies
outsiders can lack DC connections and experience necessary for the job
political professionals are better placed to understand candidates true qualities when the general public is bombarded with political ads
primaries and caucuses increase voter fatigue
caucus meetings lack voter secrecy, lengthy time commitment

45
Q

what are national nominating convention?

A

take place in swing states
2-3 months before November poll
chance to unite party
gives momentum to the candidate’s campaign via publicity
marks the beginning of the presidential campaign

46
Q

what is a broken convention?

A

when no candidate has an overall majority

47
Q

which states don’t award their votes on a winner takes all basis?

A

Maine and Nebraska, use the congressional district method.

48
Q

what are faithless electors?

A

although they are pledged to vote for a party’s candidate, they can choose to disregard this and vote another candidate

49
Q

name faithless electors

A

2016, four democrats in Washington State
three voted for moderate republican ex-secretary of state - Colin Powell
however, faithless electors have never affected the outcome of the election

50
Q

what are the arguments for the electoral college to not be abolished?

A

normally delivers the right results
reflects the federal nature and ensures candidates have to campaign in a range of states not just most populated
no other method has gained widespread and bipartisan support
faithless electors have not affected a final outcome
produces a clear winner

51
Q

what are the arguments for the electoral college to be abolished?

A

winner of the popular vote can fail to be elected Al Gore and Hillary Clinton
frequently exaggerates margins of victory
smaller states are overrepresented
founding fathers were in a different political era when the US was much smaller and less diverse
encourages candidates to focus on swing states
faithless electors pose a threat
turnout - wasted votes especially in safe states
discriminates against third parties

52
Q

what is the voting behaviour in the US?

A

race - African-Americans vote for Democrats 87% voted for them in 2020
gender - women vote for Democrats 57% in 2020
religion - evangelical Christians 76% chose Trump
age - 60% under 30s voted Democrats

53
Q

what does Dog whistle politics mean?

A

political messaging employing coded language that appears to mean one thing to the population while also having an additional meaning for a targeted group

54
Q

what are the two main realigning elections in the US?

A

Southern Strategy - associated with Barry Goldwater and Richard Nixon, broke up the Democrat Solid South.
targeted white conservatives who felt betrayed by the Democrats support of civil rights and desegregation
switch in western and eastern coastal areas from Republican to Democrat stronghold. complete flip

55
Q

what was so significant about the 1932 election?

A

under the Republican president Hoover, the great depression. failed to address the crisis effectively
However, Roosevelt fought against the economic crisis.
Democrats won 472-59 ECVS
Roosevelt promised the New Deal - interventionist government

56
Q

what was significance about 2016 election?

A

Clinton seen as a political insider, limited her appeal among white blue-collar voters in the Rust Belt
Trump was a political outsider - no political experience
generally viewed as a victory for populism
loyal Democrat white blue-collar workers in Rust Belt states such as Michigan and Ohio swung behind Trump, attracted by his promises of more jobs and trade.
However, in 2020 Georgia flipped and turned blue

57
Q

what are the core voting groups for the republicans and what are the key policies?

A

White evangelical christians - pro-life, pro-Israel, promotion of traditional social values
Gun owners - defence of 2nd amendment

58
Q

what are the core voting groups for the democrats and what are the key policies?

A

African-Americans - support for civil rights, opposition to voter suppression tactics, such as ID laws
Public Sector Labour Union - increase minimum wage, greater investment in public services, education, health care and pensions.

59
Q

how much money was spent in the 2020 election in the US?

A

$14 billion
almost $7 billion spent on the presidential race
Bernie Sanders had $170 million by March

60
Q

where does the money go in the US elections?

A

professional campaigns need to employ a range of specialists. national campaigns involves travelling, airtime on TV, political ads, swing states.

61
Q

where does the money come from in US elections?

A

there is very little regulation to restrict or cap political donations.
main source of funding from PACs, large individual donations, self-funding

62
Q

what do wealthy candidates use for campaign financing?

A

billionaires and millionaires use their own money in elections
Trump spent $66 million in 2016 campaign, although only $8,000 in 2020

63
Q

what is the advantage of self funding in the US?

A

self-funding is free from influence or favours from donors, therefore accusations from corruption
free from government restrictions other than disclosing funds to the FEC.

64
Q

what are the disadvantages of self-funding?

A

encourages the perception that US politics is purely an activity for the wealthy and it may be counterproductive to the campaign. voters may shun wealthy candidates seeing them as arrogant.

65
Q

what is hard money?

A

money contributed directly to a specific candidates, but is limited by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act 2002

66
Q

what are the restrictions imposed by the Bipartisan Reform Act?

A

no individual can donate more than $2,800 per annum directly to a single candidate’s own campaign, no more than $35,500 to a national political party

67
Q

what are PACs?

A

Political Action Committees, these can raise and distribute money to favoured candidates, maximum of $5,000. many established politicians also form leadership PACs as a way of raising money to help fund other candidate’s campaigns.

68
Q

what is soft money?

A

independent expenditure, money spent indirectly to promote candidates or to attack opponents.
SuperPACs or other groups that raise and spend money must not formally coordinate with a candidate’s official campaign.
all major candidates have large wealthy SuperPACs behind them.

69
Q

what is federal government funding?

A

least significance, there have been attempts to introduce voluntary caps on campaign expenditure by matching federal funding for campaigns in return for a candidate limiting their overall spending.
obama rejected it in 2008 that he could raise more by his own efforts than the funding ceiling that accepting federal funding would impose

70
Q

what are the arguments that campaign finance should be reformed?

A

election expenditure out of control, 2020 $14 billion,
fundraising distracts elected representatives from focusing on doing their real job,
SC decisions, Citizens United vs FEC have added to the problem,
dark money - 501c groups do not need the names of the donors to be made public,
loopholes need to be stopped, SuperPACs, 501, 527, a lot of political influence issue of corruption

71
Q

what are the arguments that campaign finance should not be reformed?

A

2016 saw less spent than in 2012,
fundraising and political donations are a crucial part of the democratic process as it allows for supporters to show additional loyalty,
political donations are part of the free market, candidates who are popular attract the most funding
SC upheld 1st amendment regarding freedom in political activity, upheld BCRA in 2003
political donations come with transparency and disclosure, nearly all funding is traceable
wealthy individuals always find loopholes

72
Q

what are the three main case studies that are used for elections?

A

Thatcher, Blair and Johnson

73
Q

when was Thatcher’s election? what was her majority?

A

1983, 42% majority

74
Q

what role did the media have in Thatcher’s election?

A

the Sun encouraged readers to ‘vote for Maggie’ Thatcher had a stronger media presence than Michael Foot.
‘Iron Lady’ ITV documentary, 16 televised interviews,
Foot was perceived as ill-suited to lead his own party

75
Q

what were Thatcher’s main aims in her manifesto?

A

focus on privatisation of big companies such as British steel and railways

76
Q

why did a majority help Thatcher and her gov’t?

A

with a majority, further legislation was passed for privatisation and reduce the power of the trade unions and mine workers, called of the strike that lasted for 363 days.

77
Q

what was Thatcher’s leadership like, how did other factors help?

A

national swing to conservatives, landslide victory, labour fell to 3rd or worse in constituencies, devastating loss, so started to reform socialist policies.
she had the victory of falkland island war, and conservatives were able to increase their majority from 43 to 144. led to full nuclear deterrent and support of NATO.

78
Q

what was Thatcher’s downfall?

A

1990, Poll Tax was her down fall, many against it, she went against advice from her cabinet
leadership challenge after she sacked her foreign secretary - Michael Heseltine

79
Q

when was Blair’s election and what was his majority?

A

Blair elected in 1997, landslide majority victory 42% because party moved from traditional socialist ideas to a third way.

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