Elections and Referendums Flashcards
How often are general elections held?
at least every 5 years
What is first past the post?
the first party to reach a certain amount of votes win
Is first past the post representative?
no
General election 2019
44%=conservative 56%= other
however due to fptp it gave conservative a majority of 56%
turnout= 67.3%
benefits of first past the post
- creates strong single party government
-close relationship of mp and constituents - keeps extremist parties out
- clear choice
- quick and easy
drawbacks of first past the post
- not representative
- some other systems have close relations
- two party dominance
- simple is not a good enough for fptp
- discriminates against small parties
2015 disproportional result of g.e
UKIP=12% = 1 seat
LibDem=8% =8 seats
What is the supplementary vote?
electorate have two votes for first and second choice.
First choice votes are counted and if no winner they are distributed on 2nd vote
What is the supplementary vote used for?
Mayoral Elections
Winning candidates using supplementary votes must gain …
minimum of 50% vote
benefits of supplementary vote?
-simple and easy for voters to use
- 2nd vote encourages posisitve campaign
- maintain mp + constituent links
- penalises extreme parties
-single party gov created
is supplementary vote proportional?
its more proportional than fptp
drawbacks of supplementary vote?
- still not fully representative
- possibility of excluding 2nd vote
- to win needs to be first choice
What is the Additional member system? (AMS)
Mixed system of 2 votes for constituency and party including list system
benefits of AMS
- proportional
- greater voter choice
- high constituency rep which is directly accountable
- at least on effective vote
