Elections Flashcards
Why FPTP rarely results in coalitions.
Tactical voting.
Discourages safe seats.
Designed for a two party state.
For FPTP:
Quick- Greece 3 months UK- 4 days average Less coalitions- 20/25 since 1922 Someone to hold to account- Jackie Smith lost seat AV vote referendum
Against FPTP:
Designed for a two party system- 1974- Harold Wilson Tactical voting- disadvantage to smaller parties Discourages voting in safe seats Less coalitions Not proportional Not majoritarian- legitimacy
Evidence for FPTP as unproportional
In 2010 lib dem got 6% less vote than labour but 201 less seats
What happened in 1974 to Wilson?
The winning party polled less votes than the runner up- Harold Wilson
STV ads
Maintains constituency link
More coalitions
Majoritarian
Proportional
Explain French double ballot?
2 rounds
Top 2 remain
Majoritarian
Disads of French double ballot?
Electoral fatigue
Expensive
Longer to work out
Things to look at for a good electoral system?
Constituency link Proportionality Coalitions Smaller parties- tactical voting Difficulty at ballot box Majoritarian or plurality
Why are elections important?
“The cogs which keep the wheel of democracy turning” Farell
Gives govt legitimacy
Sign of political wind
Advantages of French double ballot?
Majoritarian
More democratic
How does supplementary vote work?
1st and 2nd preference If any get majority- winner All but top 2 knocked out Second preference considered Used for directly elected mayors
Advantages of SV?
Majoritarian
Constituency link maintained
No donkey voting
Reduced tactical voting
Disadvantages of SV?
Not proportional
Concentrated areas of support required
Gerrymandering
How does STV work?
Multi- member constituency
Quota is worked out by dividing the seats available by 100.
Ranked preferences on the ballot.
To reach quota surplus votes are distributed and last place eliminated.
Advantages of STV?
Weak proportionality Fairer to smaller parties More than one person to speak to More coalitions Gerrymandering is less of an issue
Disadvantages of STV?
Complex to work out
More coalitions
Reduced link with MP
Which systems maintain a constituency link?
FPTP- strong
List systems- no link
AMS- piggy back MP’s
STV- multi member constituency
Electoral systems and majoritarian?
SV- best majoritarian
FPTP- most votes wins- can govern with as low as 36.9%
STV- only requires a quota
Which results in more or less coalitions?
FPTP- rare coalitions- 20/25 since 1922
STV and list system- more coalitions - consensus politics
Proportional systems?
List systems and STV are most proportional.
List exact proportion
STV- minimal wasted votes
FPTP- unproportional
Which systems are fairer to smaller parties?
SV and AV- preference order
AMS- 2 votes
Compare UKIP to SNP in 2015?
UKIP - 12.6% - 1 seat
SNP- 4.7% - 56 seats
