Elections and referendums Flashcards
what are majoritarian electoral systems?
system where the winner must achieve a majority of votes to win, either through a simple or absolute majority
what are some examples of majoritarian systems?
- FPTP
- Alternative vote (AV)
- Supplementary vote (SV)
what are the two types of majorities?
- simple majority: Candidate with the most votes wins, even if under 50%.
- Absolute Majority: Candidate needs over 50% of the vote.
what are some advantages of majoritarian systems?
- strong governments
- clear accountability
- simple process
what are some disadvantages of majoritarian systems?
- disproportional outcomes
- wasted votes
- tactical voting
- often electoral deserts where some regions have little competition due to it being a stronghold
How does first-past-the-post work?
Candidate with the most votes wins, even if they receive less than 50% of the vote
How does Supplementary vote work?
- Voters pick a 1st and 2nd choice.
- If no candidate gets 50% in the first round, all but the top two are eliminated, and second-choice votes are redistributed.
how does Alternate vote system work?
- Voters rank candidates.
- If no absolute majority, the lowest candidate is eliminated, and votes are redistributed until one candidate passes 50%.
what are proportional electoral systems?
systems where seat allocation closely matches vote share
what are some examples of proportional electoral systems?
- single transferable vote (STV)
- Additional member system (AMS)
What are some advantages of proportional electoral systems?
- fairer representation
- fewer wasted votes
what are some disadvantages of proportional electoral systems?
- weaker governments (coalition)
- can create political gridlock due to lack of majority
- benefits radical parties e.g. Reform
what is Single Transferable vote and how are candidates chosen?
- A system for multi-member constituencies.
- Voters rank candidates in order of preference.
- They can rank as many or as few candidates as they like.
How are winners chosen in single transferable vote?
Candidates must meet a calculated vote quota. Extra votes above the quota are transferred to other candidates.
What happens if no one gets the quota in single transferable vote system?
The lowest candidate is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed.
how does Additional Member system work?
- A mix of FPTP and proportional representation.
- Some seats are won via FPTP, others allocated based on vote share to reduce disproportionality.
what are some methods of participation?
- voting
- party membership
- protests
- petitions
what are some demographics which can impact voting behaviour?
- age
- social class
- religion
- ethnicity
what is a manifesto?
a document outlining a party’s policies for governance before an election
why are manifestos important?
- influence voter choice
- provide clarity on what voters can expect from the party.
- increased accountability as voters know what to expect
How can Party policies and manifestos impact voter turnout
- can help resonate with voters
- Clear and credible policies boost voter engagement. When parties present appealing policies (e.g., Labour 1997) and are seen as trustworthy, turnout increases.
- However, broken promises (e.g., Lib Dems 2010 tuition fees) can discourage trust and participation.
example of influential manifestos and how they impacted elections
- 1997: Labour manifesto focused on economic stability, education, healthcare and minimum wage. resonated with all voters
- 1979: Thatcher focused on reducing inflation, lowering tax and reforming the public sector. Labour was less focused on economic and more on social reforms, did not appeal to voters
- 2019: Labour’s radical policies were seen as unaffordable, damaging credibility. Many middle-class voters switched to the Conservatives.
what are some key aspects of a campaign?
- advertising
- debates
- rallies
- social media
What is the First Past the Post system used for?
UK general election
what are advantages of first past the post?
- strong governments
- clear accountability
- simple to understand
what are disadvantages of first past the post?
- Encourages a two-party system, limiting smaller parties’ influence (e.g., 2015 UKIP: 3.8 mil votes, 1 seat, SNP: 1.4 million votes, 56 seats)
- wasted votes
- exaggerates victories (e.g. Blair 1997 43% of votes but 63% of seats)
what is the additional member system used for?
- Scottish Parliament
- Welsh Senedd
what are some advantages of AMS?
- fairer representation: smaller parties have a better chance of winning seats compared to FPTP, still favours larger parties slightly due to FTPT element
- proportionate
- reduces wasted votes
what are some disadvantages of AMS?
- more complicated as voters have to make two choices instead of one
- encourages coalitions and weak government
what is Single Transferable Vote used for?
- Northern Ireland Assembly
- Scottish local elections
What was the voter share, seats and voter turnout in the 1997 General Election?
- Turnout, 71.4%
- Labour 43.2% vote, 418 seats
- Conservatives 30.7% vote, 165 seats
What were the key factors involved in the 1997 election
- Blair’s Leadership: Modern, charismatic, strong media presence.
- New Labour Policies: Focused on economy, NHS, education.
- Tory Failures: Scandals, economic issues, ‘cash for questions’.
- media influence: newspapers like the sun backed Blair (The Sun Backs Blair)
- By 1997, 60% of voters trusted Labour more on the economy (1992: only 28%
What was the result, seats, vote share and turnout of the 1979 election?
- Turnout: 76%
- Conservatives: 43.9% of the vote, 339 seats
- Labour: 36.9% of the vote, 269 seats
what were the key factors in the 1979 election?
- Winter of Discontent: Strikes, inflation, economic chaos.
- Thatcher’s Leadership: Seen as strong and decisive.
- Trade Union Backlash: Tories promised to curb union power.
- Media: The Sun and Daily Mail backed Thatcher, increasing her credibility.
What was the result, voter share, seats and turnout of the 2019 election?
- Turnout: 63.7% (down from 2017: 68.8%).
- Conservatives: 43.6% vote, 365 seats
- Labour: 32.1% vote, 202 seats (worst since 1935).
Key factors in the 2019 election
- Brexit Divide: Johnson’s “Get Brexit Done” vs. Labour’s unclear stance.
- Corbyn’s Leadership: Accusations of antisemitism, radical policies.
- Collapse of the ‘Red Wall’: traditional Labour strongholds in the North and Midlands fell due to Brexit and dislike for Corbyn
what is the impact of newspapers on elections?
- 1992: “It’s The Sun Wot Won It” – media helped shift support to the Conservatives.
- Anti-Labour campaigns (e.g., discrediting Neil Kinnock).
Impact of social media on elections
- Higher engagement, especially among young voters.
- 2017: Corbyn’s campaign gained 500,000 Twitter mentions.
Impact of TV debates on elections
- Gives smaller parties a national platform.
- 2010: Nick Clegg’s strong debate performance boosted Lib Dem poll ratings
- seat gain was limited
what are referendums?
- voters are presented with a question (often yes or no)
- outcome is determined by majority of those who participate
what are some advantages of referendums?
- more democratic
- political legitimacy
- Enhances direct democracy and public trust in decisions.
what are some disadvantages of referendums?
- Oversimplifies Issues: Brexit vote didn’t address consequences.
- Voter Confusion: Many don’t understand complex topics.
- Tyranny of the Majority: 51.9% Brexit vote ignored 48.1%.
- referendums can be used as a political tool by governments to bypass Parliament
Examples of referendums with high turnouts?
- 2016 Brexit: 72.2%
- 2014 Scotland independence: 84.6%
What are some reasons for high election turnouts?
- importance of the issue e.g. BREXIT was a crucial decision economically
- strong public opinion
- media coverage
Examples of referendums with lower voter turnouts
- 2011 AV referendum: 42.2% turnout
- 2004 North East Regional Assembly referendum: 48.7%
what are some reasons for low turnout
- Turnout depends on issue importance
- voter apathy: voters feel the outcome won’t significantly affect them or if they don’t understand
- issue it too complicated
How does age affect voter decisions and give an example
- younger voters = labour
- 2024
- 18-24: 41% Labour, 8% Tory.
- 70+: 46% Tory, 20% Labour.
How does education affect voter decisions and give an example?
- higher education = more likely labour
- 2024
- Higher education: 42% Labour, 18% Tory.
- Lower education: 31% Tory, 28% Labour.
how does ethnicity affect voter decisions?
- ethnic = labour
- 2024
- Black voters: 68% Labour
- Asian voters: 39% Labour, 18% Tory
- Mixed voters: 50% Labour, 14% Tory
