Electoral Systems Flashcards
What is “electoral legitimacy”?
The degree to which an election is accepted as fair and representative by the public and political actors.
What are some recent examples of low voter turnout in the UK?
2016: Police and Crime Commissioner elections (27% turnout) and some local elections.
What is the Alternative Vote Plus (AV+)?
A hybrid system combining the Alternative Vote for constituencies with a top-up list system to improve proportionality.
What is the Jenikins Commission?
A commission established in 1997 to investigate electoral reform in the UK, which recommended the Alternative Vote Plus (AVC) system.
What is the constituency link?
The direct relationship between an elected representative and the voters in their constituency, emphasised under FPTP.
What are the arguments against electoral reform in the UK?
FPTP produces strong and stable governments.
Proportional systems can lead to coalitions and instability.
Reform could weaken the constituency link.
What are the main arguments for electoral reform in the UK?
FPTP is outdated and unfair.
Greater proportionality wouldnimprove representation.
Reducing wasted votes could increase voter turnout.
Why do smaller parties struggle under FPTP?
Their votes are often too dispersed across constituencies, preventing them from winning enough seats.
What is meant by “electoral volatility”?
Significant changes in voter preferences between elections, often leading to different parties gaining or losing support.
What us a threshold in proportional representation systems?
A minimum percentage of votes a party must receive to gain seats in a legislature.
What are the consequences of marginal seats in the UK elections?
Marginal seats are areas where elections are very close, and they have a big impact on UK elections:
• Campaign Focus: Parties focus resources and messages on these areas to win undecided voters.
• Policy Influence: Voters in marginal seats get more attention, which can shape national policies.
• Unpredictable Results: Many marginal seats make election outcomes harder to predict.
• Help for Smaller Parties: Smaller parties can gain influence by targeting these areas.
• Less Focus on Safe Seats: Parties often neglect safe seats to prioritize marginal ones.
Whag is voter apathy?
A lack of interest or motivation among voters to participate in elections.
Where is the d’Hondt method used in the UK?
European Parliament elections (prior to Brexit) and the portion of the Additional Member System (e.g., Scotland and Wales).
What is the d’Hondt method?
A formula used in proportional representation systems to allocate seats to parties based on their share of votes.
What is the difference between a plurality and a majority system?
Plurality: Candidate with the most votes wins, even without a majority.
Majority: Candidate with the majority of votes.
What is a coalition government?
A government formed by multiple political parties that share power, often resulting from proportional systems where no party wins an outright majority.
