Electoral system Flashcards
Although Boris Johnson won an 80 seat majority, what % of votes did he acquire?
43%
What are the functions of an electoral system?
- to chose representatives
- allow the public to hold the government and representatives to account
- mandate
4 democratic aspects of uk elections
- most adults are permitted to vote
- secrecy of the ballot
- the conduct of elections is safe guarded by the electoral commission which is independent of the government
What are the four types of electoral systems?
- First Past the post
- single transferable vote
- supplementary vote
- additional member system
Define the first past the post system
- The person with the most votes secures the seat
- an absolute majority is not needed
- chose someone to represent their constituency
Define the supplementary vote system
- used to elect one candidate
- an absolute majority for the winning candidate
- voter makes two choices - if one candidate gets 50% the first vote is complete
- however if not, the second vote is cast
Define the single transferable vote system
- allocate seats in direct proportion to votes cast
- rank voting preferences
Where is FPTP used?
general elections and local elections in England and wales
Where is AMS used?
Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly, Greater London Assembly
Where is STV used?
Scottish Local Council, Northern Ireland Assembly
Where is SV used?
London mayoral elections
Define the additional member system
- first vote using first past the post
- second vote to a party list
In FPTP do the voters chose a party or a candidate?
a candidate
How many constituencies are there?
650
Negatives of safe seats
Little real choice for voters
Statistic e.g of how many seat that (2019) were won by an absolute majority
In 2019 - 421 of 650
Statistic e.g of how many MP’s won a seat with less than 40% majority
2015 - 50 MP’s
3 advantages of first past the post
- simple
- outright winner usually
- representatives focus on constituency isssues
3 disadvantages of FPTP
- parties with dispersed support struggle to win seats
- favours larger parties with concentrated support
- failed to produce a decisive government majority causing a coalition
FPTP favours parties that have - support in certain areas
Concentrated
Example of FPTP favouring parties with concentrated support
2019 General election - Liberal Democrat’s - 11% of votes but only 11 seats
Example of FPTP awarding equal votes to seats
2019 - Labour - 32% of votes - 31% of seats
What is a safe seat?
Almost certain that the same political party will win the seat at every general election
Safe seats estimate - inc year
2019 - estimated 316 of 650 seats were safe
2 negative implications of safe seats
- the MP’s of those constituencies are less accountable for their actions as the probability of the loosing the seat is slim
- wasted votes - no realistic chance of changing the outcome - votes not all of equal value
What are marginal seats?
Seats held by a small majority, where a small swing to an opposition candidate can cause the seat to change hands.
2 negative implications of marginal seats
- votes in these areas have more influence
- parties concentrate on these seats
What did the 2011 referendum propose?
Rejected proposal for electoral system change
What referendum Rejected proposal for electoral system change
2011
reasons FPTP should be replaced
- votes are of unequal value
- wasted votes
- tactical voting
- not proportional
- the winning party does not have an outright majority
What is tactical voting?
voting for the party that is the least worst option, not the party you would want to vote for
What % of votes did the conservatives win by in 2019
43%
3 positive aspects of AMS
- partly proportional - more than FPTP
- parliamentary constituencies with a representative MP
- helps smaller parties who can not win constituency seats
What are the 2 systems in AMS?
FPTP and closed party list
What is closed party list?
voters vote for a list of candidates proposed by the party
What element of AMS is proportional?
Closed party list
How is closed party list proportional?
votes = seats
How does AMS make its results more proportional?
‘top-up’ system
What is the ‘top-up’ system?
Parties that do less well have a proportion of their votes adjusted upwards and those that do proportionally well under FPTP have their list votes adjusted downwards
3 Drawbacks of AMS
- produces two classes of representation - constituency and those elected through lists - lists tends to be senior
- complex
- can result in the election of extremist candidates
Proportional example of AMS
Scottish Parliament - 2016 - SNP 49% seats won, 42% votes won in regional lists
How many seats are available in each constituency in the STV system?
6
Which electoral system ranks candidates in order of preference?
STV
What system has an electoral quota?
STV
what is an electoral quota?
a calculated number of votes a candidate must achieve to be elected
Example of STV as a proportional system
Northern Ireland Assembly election 2017 - DUP 28 seats won, 28% of first preference votes won
3 negatives of STV
- complex
- 6 representatives per constituency makes accountability unclear
- donkey voting
4 positives of STV
- proportional
- voters have a wide range of choice - less settling - a candidate who meets their ideals
- voters can vote for candidates in different parties
- more likely for smaller parties to be elected
How many votes do voters get in SV per constituency?
2
What does SV only elect candidates if they achieve?
an absolute majority
3 advantages of SV
- winning candidate has an overall majority - legitimate
- simple
- voters can vote for multiple parties
