Electoral Systems Flashcards
FPTP - Majoritarian
Disadvantages
Disadvantages:
- Can result in hung parliament as seen in 2010 and 2017 GE
- This hung parliament causes coalitions that damage democratic transparency and make government less effective (2010 Cons. Lib Dem)
- Very disproportionate result that leads to a winner’s bonus. Favours concentrated support. (2017 GE Cons. got 42.3% vote but 48% of commons seats)
- Candidates can win with less than 50% of the votes
- Votes are wasted on candidates that simply cannot win
- Encourages tactical voting (2021 North Shropshire Lib Dem overtake cons in protest vote, prev safe seat)
- Creates safe seats (Over 56% of the UK is safe)
- Votes become unequal. Smaller constituencies voters have more power as it takes less
- Creates two party system
FPTP - Majoritarian
Advantages:
- Usually produces strong single party government, giving mandate to carry out manifesto
- Quick and simple process (2010 Belgium proportional system took 18 months)
- AV Referendum 2011 found 68% of voters wanted FTPT
- The strong government it forms has a good majority allowing sweeping reform such as thatcher’s privatisation 1979
AMS - Hybrid
Advantages and overview
Two votes are cast, one (Constituency) using FTPT, one for party using proportional
Used in scottish parliamentary elections, welsh assembly, Greater London Assembly
Advantages:
- 2nd ‘top up’ vote adds proportionality - 2016 Sco Par Lab 24% seats 23% votes.
- FPTP element maintains the strong constitution MP link
- Voters have a wider range of voting options as they can ‘split ticket’ vote
AMS - Hybrid
Disadvantages:
- Creates two different types of member (MP?), one with and one without constituency, hindering legitimacy
- Party leaders can rank candidates, hindering independence
- Smaller parties suffer in terms of representation as the system is still majority FPTP
- Can cause minority governments as seen (1999 Labour lib dem coalition)
Scotland bad ballots 200K
STV Proportional
Advantages and overview
Used by N Ireland Assembly, Scottish council
Voters rank preference in numerical order, process of elimination, votes transferred to the next running candidate. Excessive votes that push MP over count are moved to the next choice.
Advantages:
- Higher voter choice, no wasted votes
- Reduces effectiveness of tactical voting
- Allows votes for different parties
- In N Ire its created power sharing body
Scottish council elections fair well with it
STV Proportional
Disadvantages
:
- Not fully proportional
- Weakens MP-Constituent link in large areas
- Power sharing can cause shutdown (N Ire 2002-2007
- Can lead to donkey voting “alphabetical number list”
SV
Overview and advantages
Two votes 1st and 2nd choice. All but top 2 eliminated, then 2nd choices counted and added
Advantages:
- Encourages campaigning as 2nd vote is important
- Relatively simple
- Little change from FPTP
- All MPs would have majority support
- Reduces tactical voting
- MP link kept as single member constituencies
SV
Disadvantages
Disadvantages:
- Still promotes main parties as 3rd unlikely
- Tactical voting for 2nd place still possible
- Not guaranteed majority support
Electoral system analysis - Where it came from
UK Has different systems thanks to Blairs 1997 election and devolution,new Lab did this because:
- Prevent another cons. 18 year stint
- Had pledged to modernise, in line with EU
- Lib dems, a potential coalition partner at the time supported reform
- FPTP actually benefited new lab 1997, so to keep to promise they experimented with devolved admins instead
Impact on governments
FPTP Creates strong, single party with demo mandate however latest 3 2010,15,17 hung parliament
Proportional system would result in multiparty government (Weakened accountability)
Multiparty governments have junior parties, which can be bullied as seen in (2010-15 Coalition), libdem voters betrayed.
Proportional systems would mean weaker govs, which need consensus for all issues, better democracy
