Electoral Systems Flashcards
Where is First Past the Post (FPtP) used currently?
• Modern day Britain
What is the district structure within Britain?
• 650 Constituencies
What is the ballot structure within Britain?
• In a single member district the voter must clearly mark one and only one candidate
What is the electoral formula of FPtP?
• The candidate who received the most votes in the constituency wins
What are the Strengths of FPtP?
• First Past the Post could be said to be necessary for keeping a strong government majority
• It could be said to be beneficial for keeping extremists out of government
• It helps create a more unanimous government and allows for good local representation
What are the weaknesses of FPtP?
• It creates a government which is not entirely proportional so many voters are having their votes carry zero worth in creating an active government
• It allows for the creation and continuous survival of “safe seats”
• It thwarts any cooperation amongst opposing political parties
Who supports FPtP?
• The conservative and Labour parties have both spoken in favour of FPtP, with many believing they do so as it’s the system that keeps any parties smaller than them at bay
What is the district structure in Scotland?
• 73 seats locally, with 56 “top -up” area seats. In total 129 seats
What is the ballot structure of AMS?
• there are 2 separate ballots/ 2 separate votes for members of the electorate. One vote FPtP, one vote regional
What is the electoral formula of AMS?
• Regional vote divided by no. of constituency MSPs + 1
Strengths of AMS?
• considered more proportional
• two separate votes increase split ticketing
• fragments the party system
• reduction in amount of wasted votes
Weaknesses of AMS?
• It boosts party power- voters don’t have a direct choice
• Much more complicated for the average voter
• constituencies become much larger
