Electoral systems Flashcards
What is an election?
A method of choosing somebody for a political position.
Are elections democratic and why/why not?
Yes.
The electorate make the decision and so elections are a way for them to control their representatives- democratic accountability.
Name five examples of elections that take place in the UK.
General elections PCC elections Local council elections Devolved elections Metro-mayors
What are three differences between referndums and elections?
Elections-
- Vote for candidate/party
- Covers all issues
- Representative democracy
Referendums-
- Yes/no option
- Vote on a specific issue
- Direct democracy
Name four functions of elections.
Representation of the people
Give government legitimacy
Accountability
Participation of the people
What % of seats did Labour win in 1997 with what % of the vote?
63% of the seats with 43% of the vote.
Extreme example
In 1951, what % of seats did the Conservatives win with what % of the vote?
51% of the seats with 48% of the vote.
What % of the seats did the Conservatives have in 2017 with what % of the vote?
49% of the seats with 42.4% of the vote.
What is majoritarian voting system?
50% + 1 to win.
This may refer to the number of votes needed to win a seat or number of seats needed to win a government.
Likely to form a two-party system.
Name an example of a majoritarian voting system.
SV
Does the system we use show what political ideas and values are important to us?
Yes.
What is a plurality voting system?
Having more votes than anyone else but not having an overall majority.
No majority is required to win a seat.
Likely to produce a two-party system.
Name an example of a plurality voting system.
First-past-the-post
What is a proportional voting system?
Percentage of votes is equal to the percentage of seats.
None used in the UK, however many systems are more proportional than FPTP.
Likely to produce a multi party system.
Name two examples of voting systems more proportional than FPTP.
AMS and STV
Is FPTP an example of PR?
No
Is FPTP single or multi-member constituencies?
Single member constituencies.
How do you vote with FPTP?
Everyone votes for their preferred candidate
Split into 650 constituencies
Place X in the box
How do you win under FPTP?
Candidate with the most votes wins
Simple plurality.
Where is FPTP used?
UK general election.
Is Supplementary vote an example of PR?
No
Is SV single or multi-member constituencies?
Single member constituencies
How do you vote with SV?
Ballot paper has two columns, first and second preference, where voters put one vote in each column.
How do you win under SV?
Majoritarian- 50% + 1
First preference votes are counted first.
If there is not a majority, everyone but the top two candidates are eliminated and their second preferences are counted, so one candidate has the majority.
Where is SV used?
London mayoral elections.
Is Additional member system an example of PR?
Yes
Is AMS single or multi-member constituencies?
Both
How do you vote using AMS?
Voter is presented with two different ballot papers.
Cast one vote on each one.
One ballot is for candidate whereas the other is for party.
Constituency + regional vote.
Don’t have to vote for the same party on both.
How do you win under AMS?
Constituency vote winners are decided by FPTP.
Regional winners are decided by the d’Hondt formula
The first seat is allocated to the party with the highest number.
Where is AMS used?
Scottish parliament elections
Is Single transferable vote a form of PR?
Yes
Is STV single or multi-member constituencies?
Multi-member constituencies
How do you vote using STV?
Voters rank their candidates on their ballot paper, with 1 being their favourite and can rank as many as there are parties.
How do you win under STV?
A candidate needs to achieve the droop quota.
If no one achieves the quota, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and their votes are redistributed until all available seats are filled.
Where is STV used?
Northern Ireland Assembly- 5 representatives per constituency
Is regional party list an example of PR?
Yes
Is regional party list single or multi-member constituencies?
Multi-member constituencies
How do you vote using regional party list?
One vote but for a party not a candidate
How do you win using regional party list?
Seats are distributed proportionally
Where is regional party list used?
EU parliamentary elections
Name five terms associated with FPTP.
2 party system 'Winners bonus' Strong single party government 'Winner takes all' Safe seat
What is a two party system?
Two parties have a chance of forming a government
What is ‘winners bonus’?
Winner is over-rewarded
What is a strong single party government?
FPTP tends to make a one party government
What is ‘winner takes all’?
Only the winner is rewarded
What is a safe seat?
Where one party can guarantee a seat in a consituency
How many seats in 2010 were safe seats?
60%
What are the advantages of FPTP?
Clear winner Easy to vote Traditional and little demand for change (demonstrated in the 2011 AV referendum) Strong constituency/local representative Keeps out extremist parties
What are the disadvantages with FPTP?
Lack of proportionality
2 party system
Safe seats can be viewed as undemocratic
Wasted votes
What are wasted votes?
Votes for a candidate who has a very low chance of winning as the vote won’t influence the outcome of the election.
What is a democratic deficit?
When the government do not fulfil the principles of democracy in how they operate.
What is a strong government?
A single party with a majority of seats so they can enact their manifesto plans.
What is AV?
Alternative vote
Rank the candidates in order of preference
Majority to win
Eliminate the lowest candidate and redistribute their vote and repeat.
What are the advantages of SV?
Winner has a majority
More voter choice
Simple and could be adapted without changing constituencies
Good for choosing one person (e.g. Mayor)
What are the disadvantages of SV?
Not proportional
Tends towards a two party system
Large number of votes are wasted.
What are the advantages of regional party list?
Very proporional
Less wasted votes
Smaller parties
‘Engineer’ more diverse list of candidates
What are the disadvantages of regional party list?
Parties control candidates
Could lead to coalitions
Weakens the link between representative and constituency.
What are the advantages of AMS?
More proportional Helps smaller parties Preserves strong constituency links Voters have more choice Greater representation
What are the disadvantages of AMS?
More complicated than FPTP
Not as proportional as other systems
Regional list- party has control over the MPs
Weak government, coalitions and minorities may occur.
What are the advantages of STV?
Reflects voter choice More proportional Helps smaller parties Constituency link Fewer wasted votes
What are the disadvantages of STV?
Complicated and longer to get results
Possible coalitions
How ‘local’?- larger constituencies.
What is the impact of electoral systems on governments?
Proportional systems lead to more coalitions.
NI has to have a coalitions (Good Friday Agreement).
Scotland and Wales have had majorities and coalitions (2011 SNP majority of 69 seats).
Government in Wales and Scotland are fairly stable.
What is the impact of electoral systems on parties and party systems?
More parties successfully compete in proportional systems
Strengthened nationalist parties in Scotland and Wales
Conservatives do better in Scotland under AMS
Some overrepresentation of smaller parties
SNP dominant force in Scotland
Conservatives and Labour still 82% in 2017
What is the impact of electoral systems on voters and voter choice?
AMS offers greater voter choice with two votes
Increased choice in representation in STV
STV offers ordinal voting
Lower turnout in devolved regions
Different systems may increase voter turnout- especially proportional
What are referendums?
A yes or no vote offered to the public on a single issue.
What are referendums associated with?
New Labour
Is the result of referndums legally binding?
No however it would be hard for a government to ignore a result.
Name three examples of referendums in the UK.
2016 Brexit referendum
2011 AV referendum
1975 EEC referendum
Why are referendums held?
Legitimising an important decision- 1997 Wales and Scotland assembly.
Public pressure- 2014 Scottish independence- majority SNP government.
Resolve contriversial issues dividing a party- 2016 Brexit.
A deal between parties- 2011 Av- Lib Dem coalition.
Name two examples of local scale referendums.
North East Assembly (2004)- 78% of the public against and all councils voted ‘no’.
Manchester local transport (2008)- 53.2% turnout and 79% rejected.
What was the turnout of the Brexit referndum?
72%
What was the turnout of the Scottish independence referendum?
85%
What was the turnout of the AV referendum?
42%
What was the turnout of the EEC referendum?
64%
What are some advantages of referendums?
Democratic
Make a legitimate decision
Education and participation
What are some disadvantages of referendums?
‘Blunt instrument’- things reduced to simple yes or no decisions
Do people actually understand issues?
Does it create a clear result?
