Elections and Referendums Flashcards

1
Q

First past the post- Advantages and Disadvantages of votes cast

A

Advantages:
Simple- voters put a cross next to their preferred candidate.
Easy to understand
Disadvantages:
Millions of wasted votes nationally
encourages tactical voting.
Choice of candidate is made by the party not the voter. if a voter wishes to vote conservative they cannot chose between a selection of candidates.
Turnout tends to be lower in FPTP countries.

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2
Q

First past the post- Constituencies- Advantages and Disadvantages

A

Advantages-
Each constituency is represented by one MP who constituent know who to contact.
Disadvantages-
A majority of voters in a constituency may have voted against their representative.
Voters in safe seats feel that their voter will be wasted.
Election campaigns tend to ignore safe seats and focus on marginal seats. (Seats won by 5% or less).
there were only 67 marginal seats in 2019. Differently sized constituencies mean votes have different weight. This is less important in the 2024 election because the boundaries were redrawn with the creation of seats like Waveney valley.

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3
Q

First past the post- parties- advantages and disadvantages

A

Advantages-
Produces a two party system.
Excludes extremist parties like the communist party and Reform.
Disadvantages-
It favours parties with concentrated geographical support.
Minor parties win far fewer seats in HOC than they would if they were allocated proportionally to votes.
Minor parties struggled to convince supporters to vote for them as they are seen as a wasted vote party.
This also excludes smaller parties.

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4
Q

First past the post- Governments- advantages and disadvantages

A

Advantages-
FPTP tends to result in majority single party governments which find it harder to pass legislation.
Majority governments have clear mandates. Governments are easily held accountable. Coalitions and minority governments are rare and seen as a good thing.
Disadvantages-
FPTP exaggerates the mandate that governments actually have. In ‘97 Labour won 2.5x seats than conservatives but only 1.4x votes. This is the Winners Bonus. This does not also guarantee strong majority governments. From 2010 to 2015 the UK had a coalition and then from 17-19 a minority govt.

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5
Q

Majoritarian and proportional election systems.

A

Majoritarian systems require a candidate to gain 50% plus one vote to win- an absolute majority. They are not proportional so likely to result in majority governments.
Proportional systems allocate seats in proportion to the number of votes received by each party. They are likely to result in coalition governments.

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6
Q

Features, advantages and disadvantages of Supplementary Vote

A

Supplementary vote (SV), Electoral system for the PCC. A candidate needs to gain an absolute majority. Single member constituencies.
Voters choose a first and second candidate.
If no one wins first preference then the second preference are added to the first preference.
Advantages:
Increased Legitimacy- representatives need to command broader support than under FPTP. Voters can vote for minor parties with their first preference and use their second for a realistic candidate.
Disadvantages:
Not Proportional
Difficult for minor parties to win.
Votes are still wasted for anyone bar the first candidate.
Despite being a majoritarian system it is possible for the winner to be elected without a majority.
can result in the least worst candidate.

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7
Q

Features, advantages and disadvantages of Single Transferable Vote.

A

Used in Scottish local elections.
Seats are allocated proportionally to the number of votes received by each party.
Large multimember constituencies.
Voters write candidates in order of their preference.
Candidates need quota of votes to win seat.
Once a seat has been won the next seat is allocated and so forth.
Advantages:
Increased legitimacy and representation.
Voters can have faith that the party that they vote for can win.
Disadvantages:
Coalition governments are highly likely and these are weak and unstable.
Weaker constituency link.
Complex counting systems.
Complex voting processes.
Complex counting systems.

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8
Q

Features, advantages and disadvantages of AMS (Additional member system).

A

Elections to the London Assembly
Features:
The greater number of seats are allocated using FTPT. A smaller proportion os seats are allocated using PR. The FPTP seats represent single member constituencies.
The regional list seats represent larger multimember seats. The proportion of each party’s share of the vote in calculated and compared against the proportion of votes it has won in the FPTP vote. IF It has a lower proportion of votes It has won in the FPTP vote. If it has a lower proportion of FPTP seats than it deserves it is allocated additional members seats from its top up share of seats.
Advantages:
More proportional than anything else.
Voters can confidently vote for minor parties and know that their vote counts.
Split ticket voting allows voters to choose a candidate but also a party.
Constituency seats retain the relationship between the MP and their constituency.
Disadvantages:
A hybrid system so not perfectly proportional
Two classes of representative are elected.
Voters cannot choose between individual candidates. Majority governments are less likely.
Relatively complicated voting system-the voter makes two choices and needs to understand two voting systems.

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9
Q

Age statistics for 2019

A

18-24- 56% Labour -21% Tory
25-29- 54% Labour- 23% Tory
30-39- 46% Labour- 30% Tory
40-49- 35% Labour- 41% Tory
50-59- 28% Labour- 49% Tory
60-69- 22% Labour- 57% Tory
70+- 14% Labour- 67% Tory

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10
Q

Age relevance in 2019

A

In 2017 and 2019, age was the most likely point of how people voted in the general election.
Young people were more likely to vote Labour than older people.

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11
Q

Class

A

Traditionally Class has been the biggest factor in influencing voting behaviour. since the 1980’s the process of class dealignment. In 2019 voters of all class were more likely to vote conservative than Labour. Skilled manual working class were the most likely of all to vote Labour. Education Level is also a significant Labour indicator with the most educated being more likely to vote Labour.

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12
Q

Gender

A

Men and Women have different priorities- some believe that women are more likely to support parties that favour strong public services particularly the NHS and Education.
Women and Men are equally likely to vote. Women were more likely to vote remain.
There was a small gender gap in 2019 but not significant enough to be analysed.

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13
Q

Ethnicity

A

BAME groups are significantly more likely to vote Labour with an estimated 64% likely to vote Labour

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14
Q

Geography

A

Different regions are more likely to vote Labour or conservatives.

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15
Q

Voter Choice- rational choice theory

A

assumes that voters weight up the options available to them and vote for the party will deliver the the result that will best result for them.

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16
Q

Voter Choice- Issue Voting

A

Voters prioritise one issue above all others and vote purely based on that issues.

17
Q

Valance issues

A

Valance issues are those that are universally accepted to be important. Voters choose a party based on hoe well they think the party will preform on those issues. The economy is probably the most important valance issue.

18
Q

1979 General Election.
- Political context
- Result
-Patterns of voting behaviour
- Influence of the media
- Impact of party policies and manifesto

A

followed the 1978-9 winter of discontent strilkes. Incumbent James Callahan faced new conservative leader Margret Thatcher.
Conservative Win, 43 seat majority.
Middle class more likely to vote conservative. working class more likely to vote Labour. All ages more likely to vote conservative apart from 18-24 year olds. No records of BAME voters.
More media focus on leader than previously. Thatcher raised her own profile. Sun endorsed Conservative. The Tories focused on the economy. Thatcher put forward the Right To Buy Scheme.

19
Q

1979 General election
- Impacts of campaign and leadership
- Impact of election on policy and policy making

A

Had a successful “Labour isn’t working” approach.
British voters had no model for what a female PM would look and sound like.
Thatchers majority allowed her to begin transforming the economy of the UK. After winning a Landslide in ‘83 Thatcher proceeded to bring forward more radical reforms.

20
Q

1997 General Election
- Context
- result
-Patterns of voting behaviour
- Influence of the Media
- Impact of party policy and manifesto
- Impact of campaigns and leadership
- Impact of election on policy and policy making

A

The conservatives had been in power since 1979 and John Majors Government has been tainted by sleaze and scandal. Since Tony Blair took over the party in 1994 the party has repositioned itself and become more centrist.
179 seat majority.
Labours best ever result and best result of any party ever.
bar 65+ all ages were more likely to vote Labour.
Women and Men equally support Labour
70% of BAME voters voted Labour.
New Labour had a proactive approach in relation to the media.
Labour made 5 pledges which were clear and supported whereas the Conservatives failed to win support.
Negative campaigning from the conservatives and Positive campaigning from Labour with campaigns focused on Party Leaders.

21
Q

2019 General election

A

Since early in 2019 Boris was PM and called a snap election. The Conservatives were a minority government and deeply divided over Brexit and policyes to deliver it.
To call an early election Boris passed the ‘Early parliamentary election act’. Many people expected an equally divided election.
The Conservatives held an eighty seat majority. Labour had its best result since 1935. Third parties also did very well.
Older people and all social classes were more likely to vote Labour. Young people and university educated were more likely to vote Labour. Tories broke through the Red Wall. Labour outspent the conservatives. Johnson was criticised for avoiding potentially damaging press engagements. The election was foucssed on Brexit. Labour’s position was more complicated. The Lib Dems promised to rejoin the EU and Joe Swinson lost her seat. Johnsons highly effective election based around ‘Get Brexit Done’ was highly effective. Corbin seemed weak which prompted people to not support the Tories. After the election Johnson began a levelling up agenda and ‘Got Brexit Done’ Johnsons heavy majority helped him ignore calls for a coalition.

22
Q

Example for a landslide victory for one party

A

1997 Labour- biggest Labour landslide since WW2.

23
Q

A discrepancy between the number of seats gained and votes gained.

A

2015: UKIP won 3.9 million votes and one seat and the greens won 1.1 million votes and one seat.
The SNP Won 1.5 Million Votes and won 56MP’s.

24
Q

Large Numbers of Voters being disenfranchised

A

2015: The SNP won 56 of 59 seats for the first time in its history. It became the third largest party. 1.5 million Scots voted for the SNP giving them 50% of the popular vote but they won over 85% of the seats.

25
Q

An example of man election fought which was mainly influenced by a particular leadership of style.

A

Having chosen to fight an election based mainly on her strong and stable tendencies Theresa May failed to connect with voters.

26
Q

Referendum rules and procedures

A

There is no legal requirements for most referendum to be held. the Scotland Act and Wales Act forbid the abolition of Scotland and Wales assemblies without a referendum.
It has become a constitutional convention that referendums be called for a significant change.
The government can set any questions but the electoral commission comment on proposed questions.
Any person spending £10,000 over on campaigning has to submit a return to the commission and submit to the commission. The result of a referendum is not binding because parliament is still sovereign.

27
Q

Constitutional change as a reason for calling a referendum.

A

To give specific mandates for planned constitutional change like the Scotland act.

28
Q

Political forces as a reason for calling a referendum.

A

Governments may feel compelled to call a referendum, if nationalist parties are gaining ground. For example UKIP or SNP.

29
Q

Party or government management as a reason for calling a referendum

A

To settle an issue prime ministers may hold a referendum if nationalist parties are gaining ground. This happened in 1975 when the Labour Govt was undecided over joining the EEC and when the coalition government was divided over a proposed change to the voting system.

30
Q

Greater London authority referendum 1998

A

Part of Blairs devolution program. A clear majority voted yes but turnout was only 34%. This led London to have its own assembly and directly elected mayor.

31
Q

Good Friday agreement referendum

A

A landmark moment in UK history. The people of Northern Island were asked to support a solution to the unrest which they were facing. 71% of voters supported the referendum and a high turnout of 81% gave the much needed legitimacy to the agreement. This led to a devolved assembly being set up and a power sharing agreement being established. STV is used for assembly elections ensuring the wide mix of political opinions are adequately refelcted.

32
Q

North east devolution referendum

A

Blairs Labour government planned to extend devolution to the regions of the UK by introducing regional assemblies. 78% rejected the plan. the Govt was surprised and disappointed as it ended plans to devolve.

33
Q

AV referendum 2011

A

The coalition comprised on a referendum to end their internal dispute. The public failed to understand the AV referendum and weren’t inspired. 68% voted to keep FPTP. Only 42% of the electorate Turned out. FPTP continues to be used for UK elections.

34
Q

Brexit referendum 2016

A

In their 2015 manifesto the conservatives promised an EU membership referendum. Cameron was attempting to stop Tory voters from switching to UKIP. A high 72% turnout voted 52% in favour and 48% against. The campaign was run mainly by Boris Johnson and Michale gove for Leave. Cameron and Ministers campaigned for Remain. The leave campaigns were categorised for inaccurate claims. The British public had never seemed so divided before. The result put parliament at odds with the people. This was the main factor prompting the end of the parliamentary career for David Cameron and Theresa May.

35
Q

Positive impacts of referendums for democracy.

A

Positive:
Referendums hace enhanced direct democracy, telling politicians what the electorate thinks more accurately than an opinion Poll.
High turnout in some referndums is evidence of improved participation.
Referndums give legitimacy to important decisions.
The regular use of referendums suggests that they have been a more effective mean of decision making.
The electorate have surprised the government on many occasions pomting a change in policy.

36
Q

Negative impacts of referendums on democracy

A

Governments still hold the power not the people and governments tend not to hold referndums which they think they will loose. Low turnout suggests topics are unpopular to the general public. Referendums can threaten parliamentary sovereignty and representative democracy.
Poor quality campaigns an mislead or confuse the public.
Referendums protect no protection from tyranny of the majority.