Electoral Systems Flashcards
What is FPTP?
Used in UK general elections.
One candidate has to win 50% of the votes to win the seat.
What is AMS?
Alternative member system.
This is used in Scotland, for Parliament elections.
Voters cast one vote for their constituency representative, and a second vote for a party list candidate, to represent a larger region.
Which devolved nations use AMS as an electoral system?
Wales
Scotland
What are the main functions of elections?
Choose a government
Make the people in the govt. accountable
They encourage political participation.
They give a country legitimacy as the people in power, have been chosen by a majority
Which nation uses STV?
Northern Ireland
What is STV?
Single Transferable Vote
Voters rank candidates in order of preference, using the D’ Hondt formula to calculate how many seats that equals.
What does STV help to prevent?
Tactical voting and allows for smaller parties to have a chance at an election victory.
What can be a by-product of STV?
Coalitions
What are negatives of STV?
It can be difficult for voters to understand.
It can allow for extremist parties to enter government, as it’s a proportional system.
What are benefits to AMS?
It still creates a strong single party government.
Still allows for smaller parties to be represented, giving the best of FPTP and a proportional system.
What is SV?
Supplementary vote.
Voters cast a first candidate option and then a choose a second candidate if their first candidate doesn’t achieve 50% of the votes in the first ballot.
What are the benefits of FPTP?
Create stable governments.
Prevents from extremist parties entering government.
It is easy to understand.
What are the negatives of FPTP?
Poor representation of smaller parties.
High percentage of wasted voting
Encourages tactical voting.
What is a safe seat?
A constituency that is almost guaranteed a victory from a specific party.
How many seats were estimated to be safe?
368/650
