Electoral Systems

Question 1

First Past The Post (FPTP)

Answer 1

-Where the candidate who got the most votes over any other candidate wins that seat.
-Came under a criticism for electoral reform.
-Electoral reform – changes the way we vote.
-Pressure group ‘make votes matter’ campaigned against majoritarian form of voting – FPTP.

Question 2

Advantages of FPTP

Answer 2

-Simple to use and voters are familiar with it.
-Produce a strong majority governments can deliver their manifesto.
-Government party held accountable and can remove unpopular governments.
-Clear links between MPs and the constituency.
-Keeps out extremist parities – far right and left parties not prospered.

Question 3

Disadvantages of FPTP

Answer 3

-Large parties can get more seats.
-Party can win majority with as little as 35% of the vote.
-Disproportional outcomes – two main parties tend to win more seats.
-Third parties are underrepresented.
-Winner bonus – FPTP, exaggerate their performance of the most popular party.
-Discrimination against smaller parties. Mechanics – no reward for coming 2nd. 2017 election -14 million votes 44% votes cast.
-No need for 50% majority – wasted votes.

Question 4

Free and fair elections

Answer 4

Requires basic civil liberties such as the freedom of speech.

Question 5

Constituency

Answer 5

A geographical area that one or more representative is elected to a legislative assembly.

Question 6

By-election

Answer 6

A one off election that takes place in an individual constituency when a vacancy arises between scheduled elections.

Question 7

Marginal seat

Answer 7

A constituency where the party has a small majority and may be won by a different party at the next election.

Question 8

Minority government

Answer 8

-A government consisting of members of one political party which does not have an absolute majority of seats.
-Do not have overall control of parliament but do have enough to support from minority parties to pass bills.
-This happened with the conservative party in 2017 – 2019. Went from, 330 seats to 317. They had to work with the DUP in Northern Ireland to pass legislation who had 10 seats.

Question 9

Coalition government

Answer 9

-A government consisting of two or more political parties, usually with an absolute majority of seats in a parliament, formed after an agreement on policy and ministerial posts.
-Last seen from 2010 – 2015 where the conservative party and the Liberal Democrat party formed a coalition to take them over the 50% threshold.
-Creates a fractured government who are politically diverse and different, making it difficult to agree on some issues.

Question 10

Safe seat

Answer 10

A constituency in which the incumbent party has a large majority, which is usually retained by the same political party at election after election.

Question 11

Majoritarian system

Answer 11

If you win the constituency you win the seat.

Question 12

Supplementary voting
With advantages and disadvantages

Answer 12

-Ballot paper has 2 columns: vote for 1st and 2nd choice.
-Only 1st choices are counted – majority wins if 50%, if not 50% then 2nd choice vote is added.
-Advantages: The winner must achieve broad support. Voters can support smaller parties with 1st vote.
-Disadvantages: The least unpopular candidate may win. The winner may be elected without majority.

Question 13

Single Transferable vote
With advantages or disadvantages

Answer 13

-Have to number candidates in order of preference (1-5).
-To win you must meet a set number of votes – quota.
-(1) first votes counted, if you meet the quota you are elected.
-(2) excess votes are transferred to second vote.
-(3) last/lowest candidate discounted, and votes transferred.
-(4) repeated until all seats are filled.
-Advantages: The government is the party with the most votes. Votes are of equal value. There is a wide range of candidates for voters to choose from.
-Disadvantages: Less accurate. It is a lengthy/complex system. May produce unstable coalition government.

Question 14

Additional member system
With advantages and disadvantages

Answer 14

-Proportional representation – all votes are counted.
-2 ballot papers, 2 votes: vote locally then regionally.
-Advantages: Voting is easy to understand. Votes are less likely to be wasted. Voters have greater choice.
-Disadvantages: Proportion outcomes less likely. May create tensions. Smaller parties are underrepresented.

Question 15

Have non-FPTP electoral systems been effective?
Yes

Answer 15

-Minority and coalition government in devolved assemblies have been stable.
-Rise in multi-party politics as smaller parties are gaining representation.

Question 16

Have non-FPTP electoral systems been effective?
No

Answer 16

-The systems can confuse voters and result in lower turnouts.
-Extremist parties get more representation.
-New systems have not produced highly proportional outcomes.
-Relationships between constituency representatives and voters can lose out due to greater choice.

Question 17

Impact of electoral systems on the type of government

Answer 17

-Minority and coalition government are the norm in the devolved assemblies.
-FPTP is becoming less likely to deliver a majority government.
-STV more likely to create a coalition government that forms into a majority government.

Question 18

Impact of electoral systems on party representation

Answer 18

-FPTP supports the two-party system.
-STV/AMS are more proportional but produce results that award the larger party and penalise the smaller ones.
-Devolved assemblies lead to multi-party systems across the UK, creating more partisanship and polarisation through FPTP.
-FPTP means smaller parties do not get well represented.

Question 19

Impact of electoral systems on voter choice

Answer 19

-Voters have greater choice under AMS, STV and SV.
-Votes for minor parties is less wasted under AMS and STV.
-AMS and STV give greater choice.
-FPTP forces voters to vote for the 2 major parties.
-Means major parties will not vote for a change from FPTP as they are guaranteed a seat.

Question 20

Similarities of elections and referendums

Answer 20

Both are democratically elected where the public have the right to vote.

Question 21

Differences in elections and referendums

Answer 21

-Elections are an example of representative democracy required by law where citizens vote for candidates on who holds political office.
-However, referendums are an example of direct democracy decided by the government of a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question on a single issue.

Question 22

1973 referendum

Answer 22

Should Northern Ireland remain part of the UK?
-Northern Ireland voted.
-Yes: 98.9%
-No: 1.1%
-Turnout: 58.1%

Question 23

2014 referendum

Answer 23

Should Scotland become an independent country?
-Scotland voted
-Allowed 16-17 year olds to vote
-Yes: 44.7%
-No: 53.3%
-Turnout: 84.6%

Question 24

2016 referendum

Answer 24

Should the UK remain a member of the EU or leave the EU?
-UK voted
-Remain: 48.1%
-Leave: 51.9%
-Turnout: 72.2%

Question 25

Local referendums

Answer 25

-Used to approve or reject local policies.
-Used to determine mayors and local police.
-Council tax increases.
-Neighbourhood plans on where t build new houses.

Question 26

National referendums

Answer 26

-Constitutional change: Blair governments manifesto promised to approve their proposals for constitutional change, particularly devolution.
-Coalition agreement: to replace FPTP with AV which was a 2010 conservative and Liberal Democrat agreement.
-Party management: Harold Wilson and David Cameron to resolve long running internal party divisions on the issue of the 2016 EEC/EU issue as there was pressure from the right wing of the party.
-Political pressure: the government is less likely to hold a referendum they will lose. However, they have an advantage of control over timings, 2014 referendum of Scottish Independence was unstoppable following the SNPs victory in the 2011 Scottish Parliament election.

Question 27

Referendum regulations

Answer 27

-Wording: the electoral commission comments on the intelligibility of questions as they must ensure the wide public. The government are not required to accept but usually do.
-Campaign participation: groups expecting to spend more than £10.000 on a campaign mist register with the commission who designate the lead organisations.
-Campaign spending: electoral commission ensures organisations and individuals adhere to limits on funding.
-Conduct of the campaign: happen after the referendum, the electoral commission issue a report on spending or the elected.

Question 28

2014 Scottish Independence referendum

Answer 28

Should Scotland leave the United Kingdom and become a country in its own right?
-May 2011 the SNP won a landslide victory in elections to the Scottish Parliament led by Alex Salmond. The party had campaigned on the issue of Scottish independence, victory helped provide a mandate to request a referendum.
-Referendum was held on Thursday 18th September 2014.
-England and Scotland have been int UK since the 1707 Acts of Union. Scotland agreed due to bankruptcy.
-West Lothian Question – made by a Scottish constituency – how can Scotland vote on English laws but not Scottish?
-Westminster reserves the right to overturn any law made in Scottish legislature.
-David Cameron 2012: “this UK can never hold a country within it without its consent”.
-Polls consistently showed a minority of Scots would vote for independence.
-YES: 55.3% NO: 44.7% Turnout: 84.6%
-Yes campaign included the SNP, Scottish Greens and Socialist party.
-No campaign included the conservatives, labour and liberal democrats.
-Highest recorded turnout since January 1910 general election.

Question 29

The 2016 EU referendum

Answer 29

Should the UK leave or remain a member of the European Union?
-David Cameron made his pledge of referendum if the conservatives won then 2014 election.
-Happened on the 23rd June 2016.
-51.9% voted leave.
-48.1% voted remain.
-David Cameron resigned after as he backed the remain campaign.
-Theresa May elected as new MP.
-May then signed Article 50 on 29th March 2017, this was a formal way of telling the EU council about the UKs plan to leave.
-Consequences: difficult now to move good in and out of the UK, lots of unemployment in London as many companies withdrew their headquarters from London leading to loses in the UK economy.