Electoral systems Flashcards
What is First Past The Post? (FPTP)
It is the electoral system used in UK general elections the candidate with the most votes in a constituency wins a seat in the House of Commons.
Main features of FPTP
. The country is divided into constituencies
. each constituency elects one MP
. each party can only elect one candidate in each constituency to stand for election
. voters mark an X next to preferred candidate
. The winner of the election is the candidate with most votes out of all candidates (plurality)
. does not require an absolute majority (50%+) of the votes cast.
. system used in Westminster parliament
What is a Plurality?
When a candidate has won more votes than any other candidate
How does a candidate need to win through FPTP?
Through a plurality of votes rather than an absolute majority
What is an absolute majority?
50%+ of the votes cast
What are safe seats?
Where a party is so dominant in a constituency that it’s hard to think that any other party could win a seat
What is a marginal seat?
More than one party has a realistic chance of winning the seat at an election meaning the outcome of the election is going to be close
What is tactical voting?
The voter picks a candidate who may not be their preferred choice in order to keep the candidate they least like from winning
What is a winners bonus?
A winner’s bonus occurs when FPTP exaggerates the amount of support that the most popular party received. A winner’s bonus can make a minor lead in the percentage of votes turn into a large lead in terms of seats therefore strengthening the legitimacy of the majority party.
Outcomes of first past the post
. Many seats are safe seats
. only a minority of seats are marginal seats
. the winning party often wins enough seats to govern on its own with a clear mandate
. In favour of parties whose vote is highly concentrated while parties (winners bonus)
. discriminates against parties with a thinly spread vote geographically (few votes in each constituency)
. Voters likely to do tactical voting
. Its associated with a 2 party system
What is a majority government?
One party is in power and enjoys a majority of seats in the House of Commons
What is a hung parliament?
Occurs when no party has a majority of seats; either a minority government or a coalition government is formed.
What is a coalition government?
When 2 or more parties are in power. While no party enjoys a majority of seats on their own, combining the seats of the parties I’m power gives them a majority of seats overall.
Main features of the supplementary vote?
. Each voter gets two votes
. There are two rounds of counting
What are the two rounds of voting in the supplementary vote?
. In the first round, the first preferences votes are counted. If no candidate gets 50% of the first preference votes then the second round of counting begins.
. In this second round, all candidates apart from the leading two are eliminated. the second-preference votes for the eliminated candidates are then transferred to the candidates still left in.
