Electoral Systems Flashcards
U.K. - US FPTP Proportional
U.K. in 2019, parties winning large majorities leading to that one party having a huge amount of power despite far less than half of the population actually voting for that party. In 2019 the Conservatives in the U.K. won 56% of the seats with just 44% of the vote but interestingly in the US in 2020 the Democrats won 51% of the seats and votes which is significantly more proportionate than in the U.K.. However this is rare and on the whole countries with FPTP are not proportionate as can be proven in the previous US Election in 2016 when the Republicans won 54% of the seats with just 49% of the vote.
FPTP Choice
FPTP can sometimes offer a lot of choice with 10 parties winning seats in the U.K. (2019) compared to only two parties winning seats in the USA (2020). U.K. only high due to 4 nations in one and HofC is still dominated by the Conservatives and Labour
Argentina-SA Voting link
As can be proven in South Africa in 2019 when the ANC won 58% of the seats with 57% of the vote which is similar to a fairly great extent to Argentina in 2019 when Everyone’s Front won 45% of the vote and 49% of the seats.
Argentina-SA Party list choice
Check
In South Africa 14 parties have a seat in the National Assembly compared to eight in Argentina in the 2019 elections. Argentina’s population is a bit smaller than in South Africa but not to the extent the above data suggests (South Africa doesn’t isn’t even close to double Argentina’s population)
SA population approximately 60 million and Argentina population approximately 45 million
Malta and Northern Ireland Proportionality
In Malta in 2017 Labour won 55% of the vote and 54% of the seats while in Northern Ireland in 2020 where Sinn Fein won 25% of the vote and 23% of the seats
Remember proportionaly 2% between 22% and 24% is bigger than say 2% between 55 and 53 so much bigger than actual percentage gap proportional so similar only to some extent.
Spoiled ballots- ok to have as everything else is compariatibe and got 6/6 for that in essay :)
STV
almost 40,000 ballots between 2011 and 2015 in Northern Ireland were spoiled
NI pop just under 2m
Experts
The website U.K. engage is right to point out that “Under PR fewer votes are ‘wasted’ as more people’s preferences are taken into account”
To counter the criticism of Donkey Voting Expert Allistar Clark points out “Other electoral systems also suffer from ballot position effects” mid paragraph so before spoiled ballots stat
expert Richard Kelly supports my argument by saying “The bulk of voters are not in marginal seats and therefore have less incentive to vote”
LofA
List System best as proportional and lots of choice
FPTP low choice and low proportionalality but only one likely to have strong government
STV good proportionality but too much choice leading to donkey voting
Other name for FPTP
Single-member plurality electoral systems
How to explain extent Malta and NI
Although both countries have fairly proportional results they are only similar to some extent as the difference in Northern Ireland is far greater than in Malta as the gap between 22% and 24% is far greater than 55% to 54% in proportion …
Think even gap between 55 and 53 is still about half 22 and 24
