Electoral Systems Flashcards
What are the five functions of elections?
Representation, Choosing Government, Holding Government to account, Participation, Influence over Policy
How does the First Past the Post electoral system work?
Voters make one choice, whichever candidate gets the most votes wins.
Which general elections have led to the winning party losing the popular vote?
1951, 1974
What are some advantages of FPTP?
Quick and Easy, Will provide strong majority government, Excludes extremist parties, Provides strong link between MPs and local constituencies
What are some disadvantages of FPTP?
MPs and Government don’t need 50% of the vote, Lack of Proportionality, Limited voter choice, Votes are of unequal value
What percentage of votes to seats did Tony Blair get in 1997?
43% of the vote for 63% of the seats
What percentage of votes to seats did Boris Johnson get in 2019?
44% of the vote to 56% of the seats
What does AMS stand for?
Additional Member System
How does AMS work?
Voters get two votes: One for constituency MP, and another for a party list, where ‘top-up’ MPs are selected for multi-member regional constituencies.
Where is AMS used?
Scottish Parliament & Welsh Assembly
How many ‘top-up’ seats are there in Hollyrood?
56 out of the 129 are top-up seats.
What are advantages of AMS?
Top-up component adds elements of PR, FPTP component keeps regional link, Voters get wider choice than under FPTP, Gives smaller parties greater chance
What are some disadvantages of AMS?
Creates two types of member - ‘top-up’ MPs may lack legitimacy, Closed list system used - list MPs selected by party leadership, Smaller parties still achieve less than they would under full PR.
What does STV stand for?
Single Transferable Vote
How does STV work?
Multi-member constituencies, Voters rank candidates. Every candidate has to meet a quota to become elected, calculated with the Droop formula. If no candidates meet the quota, or the seats are not filled, the least popular candidate is eliminated and their second preference votes are distributed. This continues until the seats are full.
Where is STV used?
Northern Irish Assembly
What is an advantage of STV?
Close correlation between no. of votes & seats, Voter choice is high, Created a power-sharing arrangement in Northern Ireland
What are some disadvantages of STV?
Not fully proportional, Link between member and their voters is weakened, Power-sharing agreements are often prone to conflict.
What does SV stand for?
Supplementary Vote
How does SV work?
Voters get two votes, first and second choice. If no candidate gets above 50% of the vote, all but the top 2 are eliminated, and second preference votes are distributed, getting an overall winner.
Where is SV used?
London Mayor elections, Police & Crime Commissioner elections
What are advantages of SV?
Ensures broad support for the winner, Simple & Straightforward to use, Has allowed some independents to win (Ken Livingstone)
What are some disadvantages of SV?
Not very proportional, Winner doesn’t need an absolute majority, Voters need to identify the top 2 candidates for second preference to be worth anything
What are the four main reasons for calling a referendum?
Legitimising a major decision - Devolution, Getting the government out of a tricky spot - EU Entry, A result of a political deal - AV referendum, Public/Political Pressure - Brexit/IndyRef
What are some positive arguments for using referendums?
Involves the people directly in making decisions, Acts as a check on ‘elective dictatorship’, Settles arguments & entrenches reform, Raises political awareness of voters
What are some negative arguments for using referendums?
Referendums challenge Parliamentary Sovereignty, Turnout can be low if arguments aren’t explained clearly, Govt still chooses whether to call it or not, Outcomes can be influenced by issues that have nothing to do with the actual subject of the vote (e.g. protest voting)
Why has FPTP survived so long?
It’s familiar and simple, plus any party that gets into government by FPTP is unlikely to change it
Why is AMS used in Scotland?
As part of a concession to smaller parties when setting up Hollyrood
Why was STV used in the NI Assembly?
makes it impossible for either SF or the DUP to get an overall majority
What impact could proportional systems have on government?
Increase in the politics of compromise & cooperation between parties
Will a change in voting system change the outcome in safe seats?
Yes due to other systems more accurately effecting voters behaviour and choices
What was the turnout for the Independence referendum?
84.6%
What was the Brexit referendum turnout?
72.2%
What was the turnout of the AV Referendum 2011?
42.2%
In the 2024 General Election, how many in the UK ended up with an MP they didn’t vote for
57.8% of voters
