ELECTORAL SYSTEMS Flashcards
what are the 4TYPES of electoral systems?
plurality, proportional, hybrid, majoritarian
what is a plurality system?
to win a seat, a candidate only requires one more vote than any other candidate, meaning they don’t need to secure an absolute majority
what is a proportional system?
a system that attempts to allocate seats in direct proportion to votes cast. As such they are multi-member constituencies.
what is a hybrid system?
a system that mixes two other types of system, such as plurality and proportional
what is a majoritarian system?
used to elect a single candidate, system designed to attempt to secure an absolute majority for the winning candidate
Name the 4 electoral systems we study
1) FPTP - first past the post
2) AMS - additional member system
3) STV - single transferrable vote
4) SV - supplementary vote
what TYPE of electoral system is FPTP?
A plurality system.
give a brief definition of how FPTP works
the person with the highest number of votes is elected. Victory is achieved by having one more vote than other contenders.
what TYPE of electoral system is AMS?
Hybrid system - proportional + plurality (FPTP)
Give a brief definition of how AMS works
the voter makes 2 choices. Firstly, they select a representative on a simple plurality (FPTP) system, then a second vote is apportioned to a party list for a second or ‘additional’ representative.
what TYPE of electoral system is STV?
proportional
Give a brief definition of how STV works
allows voters to rank their voting preferences in numerical order rather than simply having one voting choice. In order to obtain a seat, a candidate must obtain a quota. After the votes are cast, those with the fewest votes are eliminated + their votes transferred. Candidates with excess votes above the quota also have their votes transferred.
what TYPE of electoral system is SV?
Majoritarian
Give a brief definition of how SV works
the voter makes two choices. If one candidate obtains over 50 per cent on the first vote then the contest is complete; if no candidate attains this level, all but the top two candidates are removed. Then the supplementary choices are redistributed and whoever from the remaining two gets most votes wins the seat.
give 2 features of FPTP
-voters get 1 vote for 1 candidate
-voters choose a candidate not a party
-winner takes all based on a plurality
-place an X next to your chosen candidate
-small, single-member constituencies
what is meant by an ‘absolute majority’ ?
the result of a vote where the winner receives more votes than all the other candidates put together. the winner receives at least 50% of the votes.
give at least 2 advantages of FPTP
-simple system: voters can understand exactly what they are voting for
-helps to ensure small extremist parties find it difficult to gain representation
-it is traditional in British history
-tends to produce an outright winner
-helps to ensure representatives are closely bound to the needs / concerns of their constituency
give at least 2 Disadvantages of FPTP
-It gives advantage to parties that have concentrated support in certain regions
-It is disadvantageous to parties whose support is dispersed widely
-It favours large parties + prevents serious challenges from small parties
-There is a ‘winner’s bonus’, where the biggest party tends to win more than its proportionate share of the vote. In 2019 the Conservatives won 43% of the votes, which was converted into 56% of the seats In some recent general elections (2010, 2015 and 2017), the system failed to produce a decisive government majority
give an example (statistic) of how hard it is for smaller parties to gain seats in FPTP elections UK
average votes needed to elect 1 member in the 2019 general election:
green party - 866,400 lib dems - 336,000
what is a ‘safe seat’ ?
a constituency where it is almost certain that the same party will win the seat at every general election.
what is a marginal seat?
those where the outcome of an election is in doubt. Such seats are likely to change hands from one party to another quite frequently. It is, therefore, often said that elections are won and lost in these marginal seats.
where is FPTP used?
-UK general elections
-local council elections England & Wales
where is AMS used?
-Scottish Parliament
-Welsh Senedd
-Greater London Assembly
where is STV used?
-Northern Ireland Parliament
-Scottish local government
what do we mean by ‘closed party list’ ?
A proportional electoral system where voters vote for a list of candidates provided by a party. Based on the proportion of the votes a party receives it will be awarded a number of seats from across large multimember constituencies. The order of the candidates is determined by the party, with the higher preferences being the ones most likely to secure seats.
give 2 advantages of STV
-produces a broadly proportional outcome
-gives voters wide range of candidates
-more representative
-helps small parties and independent candidates to be elected
give 2 disadvantages of STV
-complex system - some voters struggle to understand it
-vote counting is complicated + can take a long time
-can help candidates with extreme views be elected
-lines of accountability are not clear due to there being 6 representatives per constituency
give 2 advantages of AMS
-fair to all parties + produces a broadly proportional outcome
-gives voters 2 votes (so more choice)
-helps small parties
give 2 disadvantages of AMS
-can help extremist candidates to be elected
-more complex than FPTP
