Electoral Systems

Question 1

Name the Advantages of a First Past The Post electoral System?

Answer 1

Leads to a strong majority Government (Blair 1997 won 418 seats).

Can allow for clearer choices for voters with a clear direction,

Provides strong representation for a constituency (Julie Marson holds a surgery every week in her constituency)

Simple and easy for voters to understand.

Question 2

Name the Disadvantages to a First Past The Post System?

Answer 2

Is not proportional as votes don’t translate seats (UKIP won 3.8 votes but only had one seat).

limited choice as there are safe seats and not every constituency has a tory/labour/lib dem etc candidate.

Some people may feel there vote is wasted (in 2017, people within the North Fife, 67% of their votes were not counted).

Governments can be elected without 50% of the total vote share. (2017 Tories only received 36.9% of total vote share)

An MP can also be elected without the 50% majority as seen in the

Question 3

What is STV and can you name some advantages to it.

Answer 3

STV: Voters number their preference of candidate in order,