elections and referendums

Question 1

majoritiarian electoral system

Answer 1

electoral system in which the candidate with the highest number of votes in each constituency is elected, e.g. FPTP. those who come second gain no seats, hence it is also called the ‘winner takes all’ system.

Question 2

proportional electoral system

Answer 2

electoral system that calculates the number of MPs or elected representatives by the actual number of votes each party receives, e.g. list PR.

Question 3

representative democracy

Answer 3

system of democracy in which people vote for elected representatives, for example in local and general elections. elected representatives then make decisions on the people’s behalf.

Question 4

suffrage

Answer 4

the right to vote. universal suffrage effectively equates to democracy.

Question 5

participation

Answer 5

the various ways in which people can get involved in the political process, ranging in scale from standing for elected office to signing an e-petition. the most central form of participation is voting in elections.

Question 6

voting behaviour

Answer 6

the analysis of why people vote the way they do. voters are placed in categories to allow comparison.

Question 7

manifesto

Answer 7

the set of policies a political party promises to implement if elected into office.

Question 8

campaign

Answer 8

working in an organised way towards a political goal. alongside election campaigns, many MPs also choose to get involved with other campaigns reflecting their own interests and priorities, or those of their constituency.

Question 9

referendums

Answer 9

a direct vote on a policy measure, the opposite of representative government.