Elections

Question 1

Proportional electoral systems

Answer 1

Proportional representation is a type of electoral system that decides the make-up of a parliament by allocating seats on the basis of the number of votes each party received.

Question 2

Hybrid or mixed electoral systems

Answer 2

Hybrid or mixed systems are systems which combine elements of different systems. Generally such systems combine features of a majoritarian system with a proportional system.

Question 3

Majoritarian electoral systems

Answer 3

A majoritarian electoral system is a system which does not attempt to make national vote share match seats.The most well-known and familiar of these systems is First Past The Post.

Question 4

Party List electoral systems

Answer 4

There are two different types of Party List PR, Closed List and Open List. In both cases parties present lists of candidates and seats are awarded according to their party’s share of the vote.

Question 5

Single Transferable Vote

Answer 5

The Single Transferable Vote (STV) is a form of proportional representation where you rank the candidates in constituencies that elect multiple MPs. Candidates don’t need a majority of votes to be elected, just a known ‘quota’, or share of the votes.

Question 6

Additional Member System

Answer 6

AMS is a hybrid voting system. It combines elements of First Past the Post where voters mark an X next to the candidate they want to represent them in their constituency, and proportional representation, where voters select from a list of candidates for each party who represent a larger regional constituency.

Question 7

First Past the Post

Answer 7

First Past the Post is the electoral system used to elect the UK parliament. Under First Past The Post voting takes place in constituencies that elect a single MP each.

Question 8

Alternative Vote (AV)

Answer 8

In a UK-wide referendum in 2011 the British public were asked if they wanted to replace First Past the Post (FPTP) with the Alternative Voting system for electing members of parliament. The referendum produced a definitive no vote against AV.

Question 9

Mark Harper

Answer 9

Current chief whip for the government from 2015.

Question 10

A three line whip

Answer 10

A written notice, underlined three times to denote urgency, to members of a political party to attend a parliamentary vote.

Question 11

Peter Bone

Answer 11

A backbench MP who regularly defies the whip.

Question 12

Backbencher

Answer 12

A backbencher is a Member of Parliament (MP) or a legislator who holds no governmental office and is not a frontbench spokesperson in the Opposition.

Question 13

Crossbencher

Answer 13

A peer in the House of Lords who does not take the party whip but instead is independent.

Question 14

Public Bill Committees

Answer 14

After the second reading of a bill, it is customary for the bill to be referred to a public bill committee for further scrutiny.

Question 15

Select Committees

Answer 15

Set up in 1979, they are cross-party groups of backbench MPs, usually between 10 and 20 strong, led by a chairman or chairwoman.

Question 16

Public Accounts Committee

Answer 16

A select committee of the British House of Commons. It is responsible for overseeing government expenditures, and to ensure they are effective and honest. The current Chair is Meg Hillier (Labour)

Question 17

Opposition days

Answer 17

An opposition day is a day in a legislature using the Westminster System in which an opposition party sets the agenda. There are 20 opposition days in Westminster each year.

Question 18

Adjournment debate

Answer 18

An adjournment debate is a way in the Commons of enabling a debate to take place but without a question which the House must then decide.

Question 19

Question Time

Answer 19

Question Time is an opportunity for MPs and Members of the House of Lords to question government ministers about matters for which they are responsible. These questions are asked at the start of business in both chambers and are known as ‘oral questions’.

Question 20

Table Office

Answer 20

The office assists Members in tabling Parliamentary Questions (PQs) and Early Day Motions (EDMs). The Office also co-ordinates clerk support in the Chamber and Westminster Hall, and produces the House’s Order Paper and associated business papers for each day’s sitting.

Question 21

191 women in Parliament

Answer 21

The number of women elected to Parliament in 2015.

Question 22

41 ethnic minority MPs elected in 2015

Answer 22

Number of ethnic minority MPs elected in 2015, up from 27 in 2010.

Question 23

2001 General Election result

Answer 23

This was the lowest General Election result since 1918, and was 59%.

Question 24

Coalition governments

Answer 24

A form of government in which several political parties cooperate, reducing the dominance of any one party within that coalition. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament. In the UK we have had two, in 1974 and 2010.

Question 25

Examples of scandals hitting the UK government

Answer 25

Lobbying scandals prior to 2015 election involving Jack Straw and Malcolm Rifkind accepting money to lobby on behalf of private companies; In September 2015, Lord Ashcroft published a biography of David Cameron which suggested that the Prime Minister took drugs regularly and performed an “outrageous initiation ceremony” which involved inserting “a private part of his anatomy” into the mouth of a dead pig during his time in university. In October 2012 Andrew Mitchell resigned from his post as Chief Whip following allegations made about his conduct during an altercation with police at Downing Street on 19 September, the incident becoming known as “plebgate”.

Question 26

West Lothian Question

Answer 26

Also known as the English question, refers to whether MPs from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, sitting in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, should be able to vote on matters that affect only England, while MPs from England are unable to vote on matters that have been devolved

Question 27

Examples of countries with compulsory voting

Answer 27

Australia, Belgium, Luxembourg

Question 28

Droop formula

Answer 28

The Droop quota is the quota most commonly used in elections held under the single transferable vote (STV) system.

Question 29

D’Hondt system

Answer 29

Seats in the European Parliament representing England, Scotland and Wales are distributed according to the D’Hondt system, a type of proportional representation.

Question 30

What are the functions of elections?

Answer 30

They are a means of providing choice for the electorate, elections are contested by parties who offer different programmes if they are placed in power/office. Elections serve to identify and secure that choice/option

Elections are devices which allow governments to be fairly removed and to form. If a party wins and election it secures the right to govern. If a party loses and election it bows to the loss and leaves the offices of state. They provide legitimacy.

Elections serve to ‘showcase’ the political spectrum in society: they allow for the display of mainstream politics and how elections are conducted serves to engage and educate the general public

Elections serve to be the means in a large society by which citizens can actively participate and feel involved in political life.

Elections enable different shades of political opinion to be represented and act as a conduit for the public. Caroline Lucas in securing the seat at Brighton speaks for the Green Party in the Commons

Question 31

Explain how you vote when using First Past The Post.

Answer 31

First past the post is used for elections to Westminster. It is a single member simple plurality system. The winner is the person with the most votes, this may not be above 50% of those cast. The MPs returned are geographical located to represent 650 regions within the UK. Each voter has one vote and simply indicated their choice by an ‘x’ next to their preference. Victors in each constituency have a plurality of the vote, to win the overall general election a party aims to have a majority over all other parties in the Commons – thus they need to reach 326 to be in that position.

Question 32

Explain how you vote when using Additional Member System.

Answer 32

The Additional Member System (AMS) used in the devolved regions of Scotland and Wales and for the London Assembly. It is a combination of fptp and the regional list system. Each voter casts two votes one for the constituency member this is based on fptp a single member simple plurality concept and the second vote is not for an individual but for a party from a list. This produces two types of representative one constituency based the other arising from the party list. The list element is present to give a more proportional result.

Question 33

Explain how you vote when using Closed Party List.

Answer 33

The Closed Party list is used in the UK (except N. Ireland) for elections to the European Parliament. Here the UK is divided into regions and the voter does not select a candidate but rather expresses a preference for a party. The party decides the order of names on the party list, hence the term closed list as opposed to an open list (the open list does not operate in the UK) where the voter can select a preference for party candidates. The calculation used is the D’Hondt method.

Question 34

What are the advantages of First Past the Post?

Answer 34

FPTP is championed for its speed, simplicity and its ability to keep out extremists.

Question 35

What are the advantages of Additional Member System?

Answer 35

AMS is championed for its ability to combine the best aspects of FPTP with a proportional element. Its ease of implementation coupled with the acceptance of the system adds weight to its attributed advantages. However many complain that the fact that the party decides the list and the order of the names thereon denies full democratic transparency. Furthermore having two routes to being elected is unfair with the successful list candidates having a lower legitimacy threshold.

Question 36

What are the advantages of Single Transferable Vote?

Answer 36

More proportional system

Votes aren’t wasted

Voters have more choice

Small parties can get candidates elected

Independents have a better chance of being elected

Question 37

What are the disadvantages of Single Transferable Vote?

Answer 37

Counting and transferring the votes is complicated

Leads to coalition governments

Weakens the MP- constituency link present under FPTP

Tactical voting may take place

Long time to count the votes

Question 39

What are the disadvantages of First Past the Post?

Answer 39

However many question whether fairness is lost or sacrificed for these values. It is also argued that as other systems are used in the UK and worldwide the need for simplicity is exaggerated. The disadvantage faced by many small parties leads some to question the advantages claimed for FPTP

Question 40

What are the disadvantages of Additional Member System?

Answer 40

Retention of single member constituencies reduces the likelihood of high levels of proportionality - e.g. SNP won 44% votes and 53.5% seats in 2011 Scottish elections

Creates confusion - two classes of representatives - e.g. some directly elected by the people who might look down on others who are indirectly elected

Constituency representation is less effective than in FPTP as the constituencies are larger and some representatives have no constituencies

Question 41

What are the advantages of the Closed Party List?

Answer 41

The Closed Party List is championed for being the most proportionately representative system in use in the UK – having a close correlation between the % of votes and the % of seats.

Question 42

What are the disadvantages of the Closed Party List?

Answer 42

However the fact that extremist parties such as the BNP gain credibility and representation is a cause for concern. Additionally the low turnout at these elections casts into doubt the advantages claimed by the system.

Question 43

Outline two differences between elections and referendums.

Answer 43

A referendum is concerned with single not multiple issues and has a specific focus. An election covers a multitude of issues

An election can hold politicians and office holders to account and remove them from post, by contrast referendums do not have such personal accountability.

In a similar manner referendums do not secure representation of officials, whereas elections provide a mechanism to place officials in representative posts

The results of a referendum can be seen as consultative whereas in UK the results of elections are seen as binding and final

Referendums are held with the permission of the government or Parliament, whereas in the UK elections have to be held by law at set times

Referendums are seen as deriving from direct democracy, whereas elections are seen as an integral component in representative democracy.

Question 44

How do elections increase democracy?

Answer 44

They allow participation in politics, which is a core democratic principle

They allow for the legitimate transference of office and power from one party to another

They allow the principle of equality in which all citizens regardless of birth or wealth have an equal impact in terms of vote count

Elections are open to all citizens to vote in and to contest seats

Elections promote awareness of political issues and educate the public.

Question 45

Which elections in the UK use First Past the Post?

Answer 45

General Elections and local elections.

Question 46

Which elections in the UK use Single Transferable Vote?

Answer 46

Northern Irish Assembly elections.

Question 47

Which elections in the UK use Closed Party List?

Answer 47

Elections to the European Parliament.

Question 48

Which elections in the UK use Additional Member System?

Answer 48

Elections to the Scottish Parliament.

Question 49

Which elections in the UK use AV?

Answer 49

Elections to chairs of the Select Committees and a form of Alternative Vote System is used for the Labour leadership.

Question 50

What are proportional electoral systems?

Answer 50

More representative as seats are distributed according to vote share, eg STV and Party List.

Question 51

What are majoritarian electoral systems?

Answer 51

Systems that are highly disproportional, eg FPTP.

Question 52

What are mixed/hybrid electoral systems?

Answer 52

Combines the features of majoritarian-style systems and Proportional Representation, eg AMS.

Question 53

Outline the workings of the regional party list electoral system.

Answer 53

The regional party list is used for elections in the UK to the European Parliament for MEPs. The system has the following features:

It is a proportional system of voting, not a plurality.

The constituencies are regional and multi-member returning several representatives.

In the closed list voters choose the party not the individual candidate.

In an open list voters are able to choose between candidates as well as between parties.

Parties rank their candidates with those higher on the list having the greater chance of being elected.

Seats are allocated using the d’hondt method.

Some versions of the system use a quota/threshold that parties must achieve in order to gain any seats.

Question 54

Explain three disadvantages of proportional representation.

Answer 54

Complexity. Some systems of proportional representation are overly complex, both in terms of casting the vote (which produces spoilt ballots) and reaching a final outcome (counting and verifying results).

It often produces coalition government which is a compromise outcome and does not deliver single party government with clear lines of accountability.

Some methods of PR remove the representative link/MP constituency link.

The complexity of some PR systems may impact on turnout.

PR tends to allow extremist parties to gain representation.

Question 55

Make out a case in favour of electoral reform for Westminster elections.

Answer 55

The present Westminster electoral system consistently distorts popular political preferences, giving parties majority control of the House of Commons on the basis of a minority of votes. Systems of PR are much better at balancing representation and providing accountability.

There is an inherent bias as parties with concentrated support who gain more seats than their % of vote reflects. This can provide opportunities for ‘sea-changes’ in political life, without the base of widespread support.

The system becomes distorted when other parties gain credible amount of votes; this damages fair representation.

Turnout has been falling since the 1970’s. This contradicts the idea that first past-the-post is appealing to voters as it is “simple” and raises questions of legitimacy.

In reality seats only change hands in marginal constituencies where the balance of ownership is tight – again making votes of unequal worth.

The presence of safe seats also reduces accountability for some MPs who are very unlikely to lose their seats.

There exists a wide range of alternative electoral systems which have far more advantages and less faults than the current Westminster electoral system.

Question 56

Outline the workings of the single transferable vote electoral system.

Answer 56

This system is essentially a means of avoiding wasted votes and acts to transfer the vote to put it to effective use, it has the following features:

Voters rank their preferences in numerical order

Constituencies normally/often contain 5 – 9 elected representatives

Voters can choose (and rank) between candidates from the same party

To gain election a candidate has to reach a quota of votes, this is calculated after all the votes have been cast

The calculation made is known as the Droop formula

A process of redistributing votes take place, where those with excess first preferences are elected and those with fewest votes are redistributed.

Question 57

Using examples, distinguish between a two-party system and a multi-party system.

Answer 57

A two party system has the following features

Two major parties dominate the political system each having a realistic chance of gaining power/office

One of these two parties can secure adequate representation to govern alone

One party is victorious with the other forming the official opposition

Office holding between the two parties regularly and systematically alternates

Other parties may exist but these ‘minor’ parties have low representative strength

An example would be the Westminster system in the UK which has been Other examples may be cited.

A multi-party system has the following features

More than two parties are effective competitors for power and will have realistic chance of enjoying power

The outcome of an election is the sharing of power in a coalition

Power with parties tends to have greater fluctuations and new parties can more easily gain representative power

The distinction between major and minor parties is harder to maintain and establish

Office holding can and does change at election time but it is often the case that existing coalitions fold and new administrations form in between elections

Many countries in Continental Europe have multi party systems; Italy is one example of many. In the UK we could cite the nature of the party systems in the devolved regional assemblies.

Question 58

Should ‘first past the post’ continue to be used for elections to the House of Commons?

Answer 58

Those who argue it should be retained and continue in operation cite the following:

With FPTP strong government emerges which can carry out its manifesto pledges

Stable government also emerges which is not prone to break up and lasts its full term in office

FPTP is a system which keeps out extremists who may damage the democratic system

A clear working link between an MP and a geographical area which connects communities to central politics

A system which is seen as effective by the public given the outcome of the referendum in 2011

A system which is simple to use and understand

A system which delivers results with speed and accuracy

However it has been argued that first past the post should not be retained and this claim is based on the following:

FPTP can be said to produce wasted votes

MPs are elected with less than 50% of the vote in their constituency

Turnout and thus legitimacy improves under systems of PR

In systems other than FPTP all parties can gain a fair level of representation for the percentage of the vote they receive

The above means a fair share for minor parties and a levelling of the winners bonus enjoyed by the two major parties.

Thus if FPTP was abandoned another system may produce a more representative House of Commons

FPTP can deliver perverse results such as parties gaining power with less votes than the opposition as having a two party system

Question 59

What are some examples of referendums in the UK?

Answer 59

AV referendum 2011;

EU referendum 2016;

Scottish independence referendum 2014

Devolution referendums 1997

Good Friday Agreement referendum 1998