electoral systems and referendums Flashcards
define proportional electoral system
calculates the number of MPs or elected representatives by the actual number of votes each party receives
define majoritarian electoral system
candidate with the highest number of votes in each constituency is elected
how does FPTP work?
- candidate with largest number of votes in each constituency wins the seat
- runners up receive no electoral reward
- 650 single member constituencies, meaning parties can get lots of votes across the country but have few MPs because of distribution of sed votes
- simple ballot paper, vote for constituency rep
how does party list work?
- larger constituency area, group of MPs elected that closely represent the constituents views
- would have 26 large constituencies each electing 25 MPs
- parties rank their candidates in each area
- meaning highest ranked candidates (usually leaders or other senior figures) would be almost certain to be elected
when was party list used in the UK?
for european elections
- divided into 11 regions (eg south east england)
- each region elected between three and ten MEPs
- vote for party
advantages of closed party list
proportional result
every vote has equal value - no safe seats
simple ballot paper - choose one party
structured to increase diversity of representatives
disadvantages of closed party list
clear link between MP and constituency broken
limited voter choice - don’t vote for candidate just vote party
power to party leaders who determine party order
likely to result in coalitions
advantages of FPTP
creates a strong government
strong link between MP and constituency
simple ballot voting for constituency candidate
disadvantages of FPTP
disproportionate result
can only make one vote on ballot paper
winning candidate needs a simple plurality
where is AV used?
labour and liberal party leader elections
by-election for hereditary peers
how does AV work?
- voter numbers candidate in preference
- need 50% for majority
- if no winner, votes redistributed in order of preference of loosing parties until one has a majority of 50%
AV advantages
- must win majority rather than simple plurality
- theoretically MPs have to campaign more to appeal to more voters
- keeps existing constituency boundaries
- may reduce safe seat numbers
- reduces need for tactical voting
disadvantages of AV
- could be even less proportional than FPTP result
- may elect the least unpopular, rather than the most popular
- may lead to more coalitions as third parties win more seats
- unequal votes - those voting for loosing parties have their votes counted more times
where is SV used?
london mayor elections
police and crime commissioner
how does SV work?
- voters select two candidates out of five options
- candidates finishing 3rd or worse are redistributed to two leading candidates
- reduces wasted votes
advantages of SV
- MPs need broader support for plurality
- MPs theoretically need to campaign more
- existing constituent boundaries remain
- keeps clear link between MP and constituents
- easy to understand
disadvantages of SV
- unproportional
- doesnt ensure 50% majority
- voters have to guess top two candidates to ensure no wasted vote
- therefore doesnt elimate tactical voting as they need to decide who the front runners are
where is STV used? what does it stand for?
single transferable vote
NI assembly, european elections, local government elections
local scottish elections
how does STV work?
- rank parties in preferential order
- a quota is set based on number of seats and number of votes cast
- once candidate achieved quota number of votes the votes are redistributed to other candidates to avoid wasted votes
- lowest candidates eliminated, their votes redistributed
what is alphabetical voting?
voting for the party at the top of the list as it is the first one you see due to it being ordered alphabetically
average 9.9% more likely to vote for candidates the higher up the list they are
advantages of STV
- proportional result
- greater voter choice, select multiple candidates
- fewer wasted votes
- fairer to third parties, eliminates safe seats and need for tactical voting
disadvantages of STV
- more complicated
- more time consuming
- ballot papers lengthy, making it more confusing for electorate
- possible alphabet voting
- ends MP-constituency link
- possible coalitions
where is AMS used?
scottish parliament system
how does AMS work?
- voters have two ballot papers and two votes
- combination of simple plurality and majoritarian systems
- some MPs are elected through single-member constituencies with FPTP
- then some are elected through multi-member constituencies with closed party list
what are advantages of AMS?
- more proportional
- retains MP-constituency link
- if constituency vote wasted, regional vote will count
- voter has greater choice
disadvantages of AMS
- creates two classes of MPs
- party leader has greater influence
- more complicated, could lead to incorrectly completed ballots
- may create unstable govs
simple plurality systems
first past the post
majoritarian systems
alternative vote and supplementary vote
proportional systems
closed party list and single transferable vote
hybrid systems
additional members system and alternative vote +
define referendum
a vote on a single issue put before the electorate by the government usually in the form of a question requiring a yes or no response
three reasons for referendums
- to legitimise or entrench major constitutional changes
- to ensure public consultation
- to put proposals to the electorate - avoid making choices on difficult policies
turnout for brexit referendum
- 72.2%
outcome of brexit referendum
leave
leave = 51.9%
remain = 48.1%
arguments supporting the regular use of referendums
- increases direct democracy, giving people a direct say on important matters
- bridges the gap between government and the public
- entrenches change, e.g. good friday agreement
- provides a mandate e.g. brexit/eu
arguements against the regular use of referendums
- att odds with representative democracy
- reduced complex issues to a yes no answer
- low turnouts
- expensive, e.g. AV referendum £75m
- government decides the wordings and when to hold the referendum
why are elections held?
- to hold the government accountable
- country is able to be democratic
- publics views are represented locally and nationally
- gives government legitimacy
- gives government authority
- participation
functions of electoral systems
- participation
- representation
- accountability
- legitimisation
what features should voting systems have?
- strong majorities
- proportional
- strong and stable government with mandate
- simple and easy to understand when voting
- representation of the electorate
- maintains a link between constituency voters and their representative
- avoids wasted votes
- provides a genuine choice between parties
examples of wasted votes in the whitney constituency
- tory win, 35k
- lab 9k
- ukip 5k
- lib dem 4k
- green 2k
- every vote except tory is wasted
what does the jenkins commission require of majoritarian system?
- broadly proportional result
- produces stable government
- gives voter greater choice
- link between MPs and constituents
what is a majoritarian system
- a system which the winning candidate must secure an absolute majority of vote - more than 50%
