ELECTORAL SYSTEMS Flashcards
1
Q
describe the FPTP system
A
- in the UK, there are 650 seats in parliament + 650 constituencies
- to win the seat, members of the constituency (60,000) will vote for one party listed
- the party who wins the most votes wins the seat
- you do NOT need a majority, you just need more votes
- one party can win a majority of seats on a minority of the vote
- is a single member constituency (only one MP)
2
Q
describe the AMS system in detail
A
- there is an election every 4 years
- scotland is split into CONSTITUENCIES (small) and REGIONS (larger)
- in scotland there are 73 constituencies and 8 regions, but the 8 regions will have 7 MSPs within them
- it is a system of FPTP and proportionality (it is a hybrid system)
- voters have 2 votes to elect an MSP
- members in the small constituencies are elected under FPTP, so voters vote once for a single individual, one with most votes wins (plurality)
- multi-member REGIONS are elected under a closed party system, and voters choose a party
- the d’hondt formula will calculate results, and decides which parties elect MSPs
- parties can get top up members if they don’t have enough seats proportional
- the 2nd vote will counteract the first vote and make it more proportional (bc the first vote is under FPTP)
- determines how many members a party in the parliament should be designated
(scottish parliament has 129 members, 73 are elected members of their constituency, 56 of these are list members)
3
Q
describe the STV system
A
- areas are broken up into constituencies, and each constituency will have multiple members
- voters will place their vote in preferential order on the ballot paper
- the total number of votes are counted
- the droop quota is used
- ballots are counted based on first-preference votes, and if you reach the quota threshold you are given a seat
- surplus votes from that candidate are then redistributed
- votes are recounted to see if anyone gets up to the threshold
- candidates with the least amount of votes are then eliminated and their votes are redistributed
4
Q
describe the SV system
A
- there are 2 columns with candidate names
- voters place an X next to their favourite and preferential candidate, and another X next to their next favourite candidate
- it is optional to choose a second box
- favourite votes are counted, and to win, the candidate must get above 50%
- if no candidates get over 50%, it is a run off between the top 2 candidates
- every candidate except top 2 (after initial voting) are eliminated and votes are distributed
- the candidate with the most votes wins
5
Q
advantages of FPTP (with examples)
A
- does not favour radical and extremist parties
- brexit, UKIP in 2015
- a party must win concentrated, not scattered support to beat a major party
(2010 = BNP win 1.9% of national vote and no seats, only finished 3rd in barking) - produces stable government
- clear winner, implement manifesto pledge and democratic legitimacy
- produces a clear and decisive majority
- clear majority = stay the full term
- promotes ideological unity
(ie 1997 = blair gets an 179 seat majority and maintains power until 2005) - continuity of policy + allows for benefit to be seen
- 65% of gov last the full term
- large dominant opposition to hold government to account - good constituency-representative link
- MPs represent a single constituency which are small in size
- clear accountability of MP to voter - electorate choose at next election to keep incumbent (mark reckless in 2014)
- means there is a closer relationship + more knowledge of MP actions
- MP is also more aware of local problems
- average constituency is 60,000 in size
- ie lizz truss in 2024 in south west norfolk for 14 years
- lammy report - easy transfer of power
6
Q
disadvantages of FPTP (with examples)
A
- lacks proportionality + dominant 2 party system
- does not favour small parties + is not representative of these voters
- small parties need more votes than larger parties per seat won
- ie lib dema win 5% more votes in 2019 + lose a seat
- one dimensional divide (ie 82% in 2017) - allows for tactical voting
- people will vote for the
- 2019 = 19% of people were planning on tactically voting
- websites such as gettoriesout and vote tactically
- 1/3 voters in 2024 voted tactically - creates safe seats / wasted votes
- only choice between 2 parties
- votes are not of equal value (it is more valuable to vote in a marginal seat)
- recognition of unequal votes leads to voter apathy (no legitimacy + lower turnout)
- 25 million people live in safe seats
- ie safe seat in Bootle gets 65% turnout, but a marginal seat in east dunbartonshire has 80% turnout
- only 70 seats in 2017 changed hands out of 650
- only 1/5 seats change hands in 2010 - creates an elective dictatorship
- too much power of gov bc of majority
- gives power to exec also in leg - amplifies political power and policy demands
- ie starmer in 2024 only had 33% of the vote and an 174 seat majority
- 2001 = 40% of the vote gave blair an 167 seat majority - continuation of his administration
- power with no mandate
7
Q
advantages of AMS (with examples)
A
- it is extremely proportional
- strong governments can be formed out of this system
- bc of 2 voting methods of FPTP and a closed list voting system
- 2011 scottish parliament elections = SNP win 53% of the vote, and 2021 = 49%
- 2011 + 2021 welsh assembly = labour won 50% - constituent-representative link
- FPTP element in each constituency seat means there is one MP accountable for each constituency
- frequent elections means opportunity for input into if they should be an incumbent - minor parties still have representation
scotland = SNP and green coalition - 8 seats for the greens increases representation
- wales = plaid cymru formed a coalition with labour in 2007 + 2011
- forces governments to work together
- greens = won no constituencies in 2021, but 8 seats from a top-up system
- coalitions allow for representation - less wasted votes
- even if a constituency vote is wasted, the regional vote is still effective
- ability for split ticket voting (ie 2021 scottish parliament elections = 1.2 million constituency votes for SNP, but only 1 million regional list votes = 200,000 people voted for different parties)
- encourages higher voter turnout (ie turnout increasing from 33% in 2000 to 46% in 2016)
- each person = 1x effective vote
8
Q
disadvantages of AMS (with examples)
A
- difficult to obtain a large majority, meaning it is easy to default to a coalition government
- 4x more likely in wales since 1999 - overhang of seats
- some parties may be regionally very strong, but locally very weak, meaning when the regional vote corrects the FPTP vote, over-amplification is given to these parties
- dominance of large parties in top up - power of political parties on the selection of candidates
- political parties have the power to create party lists
- reduction of voter choice bc parties choose the lists of candidates (less representative / accountable)
- politicians may be more accountable to party than voters, given they decide if they should be on the system
- there is tension between constituency and list MSPs (IE BRIAN WILSON CLAIMS)
- can be seen by margot mcdonald - complications
- having 2 votes allows people to easily be confused about what each vote means
- 2019 = 1 million regional MSP votes, but only 2 seats
- limited bi-elections
9
Q
advantages of STV (with examples)
A
- less wasted votes
- people not only vote in preference, but their vote is always redistributed, not just cast off
- choose between parties or candidates of same party
- limits voter apathy
- people will rarely vote tactically bc there are no safe seats
- no tactical voting
- 63% turnout in 2022 northern ireland - proportionality
- increasing legitimacy
ie 2022 northern irish assembly election = sinn fein win 29% of votes and 30% of seats - increasing voter choice
- there are multiple representatives in the constituency, and chances of having your candidate are high
- increases ideological affiliation
- ie in northern ireland in 2022, north antrim had 5 different parties elected
- independents can also be elected - minimal safe seats
- no voter apathy, or minimal apathy (high turnout)
- competitive seats
- the safest seat is belfast west, in which sinn fein only won 53% of the vote
- turnout in belfast west was 59% in 2019 - positive campaigning
- candidates must appeal to a broad range of voters
- leads to an adoption of more moderate politics and less voter exclusion
10
Q
disadvantages of STV (with examples)
A
- voter apathy
- it is too complicated and will often lead to the idea of donkey voting
- in scotland in 2017 elections, 2% of votes were invalid, but only 0.2% for FPTP
- ie in ireland in 2019 - a party ran 3 candidates in the same district (and they did this 46 times), the 1st candidate was successful 91% of the time - weak government and instability
- easy to form a coalition
- in the NI assembly elections, sinn fein only won 30% of seats
- in local scottish elections, in 2022, 94% of councils had no overall control
- only 5 regions actually saw a majority elected
- north antrim in 2022 = 5 parties elected - difficult representation
- voters are only politically active during election time, meaning that there is limited connection and accountability between voters and the candidate all year round
- constituencies are also significantly larger, which makes constant representation and understanding of the electorate difficult
- ie women councillors in 2007 = 22% in 2017 = 29% - slower
- transfer of power is not as efficient as a system like FPTP
- typically takes a few days, not hours - weaker constituent and representative link
- larger geographical area
- multiple MSPs
11
Q
advantages of SV (with examples)
A
- simplicity
- no need to number your vote, only an X
- disencourages apathy - representation
- politicians need to be more moderate and have a wider base of support
- promotes positive campaigning style and much more extensive voter choice - accountability
- clear MP and constituency link
12
Q
disadvantages of SV (with examples)
A
- high number of wasted votes
- produces voter apathy
- ie 2012 = 1.7 million votes cast + only 185,000 were tallied bc that was only needed for a majority
- anything more than 51% is a wasted vote
- winner doesn’t need above 50% - apathy??
- people choose not to cast a second vote
- over 400,000 on average per election express no second preference
- 200,000 choose the same 1st and 2nd candidate - encourages tactical voting
- 85% of preferences were cast for the top 2 candidate to divide their support
- voters have to guess the top 2 voters
13
Q
what are the functions of elections
A
- to understand public opinion to form a government
- ensure representation
- ensure legitimacy of government
14
Q
what are the key words to use when describing the FPTP system
A
- adversarial
- decisive and dominant 2 party system
- tactical voting
- safe seats
- duverger’s law
15
Q
define marginal and safe seats
A
marginal:
- when the majority won by the candidate in that area is less decisive / large
- means the seat is fluid / can change
(only 88 in 2015)
safe seat:
- when the candidate wins with a significant majority over the second placed candidate
16
Q
give and rank the 4 criteria to analyse electoral systems under FPTP
A
- proportionality
- not good for proportionality
- it allows someone to win on a minority of votes
- it favours large parties and sidelines small parties
- forces small parties to have concentrated support
- there is a national and regional imbalance - voter choice
- low voter choice + only one vote + no ranking of parties
- system of safe seats
- people vote tactically - how likely is a coalition government
- rare
- creates decisive majorities due to the disproportional element - what is the link between constituency and candidate
- strong constituency + MP link because the MP will represent a relatively small area
17
Q
evidence for the FPTP system being proportionate
A
- lib dems in 2024 = 11% of the seats and 12% of the vote
- SNP in 2024 = 1.5% of seats and 2.5% of the vote
- in 1997, the number of third-party seats increased from 44-75
18
Q
evidence for FPTP system not being proportionate
A
- government can win a majority of seats without a majority of votes - FPTP accentuates the number of seats for a winning party
- 2024 = 33% and 174 majority
- 2001 = 40% of vote for 167 majority
- 1983 = 42% of vote for 143 majority
- governments may lack legitimacy - small parties require concentrated support to beat large parties (ie lib dems)
- 2015 = UKIP = 3.8 million votes and 12% of vote but 1 seat
- 2005 = lib dems only win 12% less votes than labour but 45% less seats
- in 2024, the greens needed 800,000 votes to elect a single MP for each national party, conservatives needed 38,000 votes - 2 party dominance
- 2010 = lab + tory vote share = 65% but they won 87% of seats
19
Q
evidence displaying wasted votes in general elections
A
2015 = 74.4% of votes were wasted
2017 = 22 million votes were wasted
- 60,000 votes were wasted in bristol west in 2019
20
Q
why should we retain FPTP and explain
A
- simplicity / familiarity
- only need to tick one box, avoid donkey voting - strong and stable governments are formed - the weaker party is removed under DL
- ensures manifesto promises are fulfilled, flagship legislation, survive full term
- these types of government have more legitimacy
- only 35% of gov last less than 4 years - strong constituency and MP link to promote accountability and representation
- these are single member districts for full accountability and no breakdown in relations - limits extremist parties and radical parties from having an over-amplified influence
- system means you must have someone’s first preference
21
Q
why should we not retain FPTP and explain
A
- lacks proportionality
- 2024 election results
- the difference in the share of the vote to obtain seats
- idea of differences needed between small and big parties - you do not need a majority to win a seat, which infringes on your legitimacy
- 2010 = 2/3 of MPs didn’t win a majority - promotes safe seats and a system of voter apathy
- people tactically vote instead
- lower voter turnout (manchester central = 47% in 2015)
- limited voter choice
- enhances a dominant 2 party system - votes are of unequal value and often wasted
22
Q
what is the spoiler effect
A
- when a third party is brought in, purely in order to prevent their ideologically similar opponent from winning
- voters will cast their vote which will allow an ideologically opposed party to win that seat
- ie in 2024, reform broke into 21% of the tory vote share, thereby splitting the right wing vote between these parties, delivering a more decisive majority to labour
23
Q
what is donkey voting
A
voting for candidates in the order they appear on the ballot paper
24
Q
what is duverger’s law
A
the idea which supports a dominant 2 party system, with the notion that it will be either one of 2 parties who will influence control
25
Q
give 3 key stats from the 2024 election
A
1 because you only need 1 more vote than your opposition, in havent, conservatives won 30.8% of vote, labour won 30.6%
26
Q
define plurality not majority vote
A
means that the candidate has the most votes out of everyone, and only needs one more vote than their opponent, rather than over 50% of the vote
27
Q
what is cube law
A
- suggests that the party getting the most votes is over-represented and the party getting the fewest votes is under-represented
- exaggeration of the winner
28
Q
examples of FPTP not always promoting strong government
A
- some elections result in coalition governments which weakens the government
- ie john major only had a majority of 21
29
Q
describe voting patterns for specific parties
A
- labour wins support in city and metropolitan areas
- conservatives have many safe seats, due to their popularity in countryside areas
- labour rarely wins marginal seats, conservatives win many marginal seats because they have concentrated support in the countryside, whereas labour is more dispersed, aside from city areas
30
Q
d’hondt formula
A
the overall region list vote / number of seats allocated + 1
31
Q
where is the system of AMS used
A
- welsh assembly
- scottish parliament
- elections for the greater london assembly
32
Q
what are the proportional electoral systems
A
- AMS
- STV (local scottish elections)
- SV
33
Q
where is the system of STV used
A
- irish assembly elections
- scottish local elections
34
Q
what is the droop quota
A
- the minimum number of votes a party needs to win in a particular area to guarantee they win at least one seat
- it creates a quota at each stage of an election which stipulates how many votes a candidate must reach to get through to the next round
35
Q
where is the SV system used
A
- in london mayoral elections
- police and crime commissionersc
36
Q
nature of the SV system
A
- not proportional
- it is majoritarian and preferential (need over 50% to win)
- was switched back to FPTP in 2022
37
Q
how does FPTP not favour small parties
A
- require concentrated support
(ie lib dems in 2024 get 72 seats and 12%, reform gets 14% and 12 seats) - SNP in 2015 get 5% and 56 seats, reform gets 12% and 1
38
Q
what % of the vote did reform take from the conservatives in 2024
A
21%
- radical and third parties can erode support of the 2 dominant parties, as there is competition between those within the right wing - split vote
39
Q
examples of AMS being proportional
A
- 2021 scottish parliament elections = SNP = 43% total of the vote, wins 49% of seats in parliament
- 2021 scottish parliament elections = conservatives win 23% of the total vote, and 24% of the total seats
- ensures each party has an equally amplified vote
- ie under FPTP, greens get 1 seat in 2019, but would get 38 under AMS because their support is concentrated
- more diversity (ie 2 more female MSPs than westminster, and ethnic minority MPs (ie humdan yousaf)
40
Q
coalition government under AMS
A
- ie green and SNP coalition whereby yousaf had to end the coalition
- 2007 + 2011 = labour + plaid cymru coalition
- scottish gov = 1999-2007 lib dem + labour coalition
- welsh coalition - 2016-2021 under labour + lib dem
- voters don’t vote to have a coalition
41
Q
define referendums
A
- non binding political agreements on one specific issue
- must be approved by parliament - not a unilateral thing
- typically on constitutional changes and large scale political reform
42
Q
paragraph structure on if referendums are good for democracy / enhance the democratic process
A
- PARTICIPATION
- direct democracy - REPRESENTATION
- ACCOUNTABILITY
- does the government act on this change?
43
Q
referendums good for participation stats
A
- specific issue = ideological alignment
- allows for an informed electorate
- ie brexit referendum had turnout of 72%
- 2014 scottish independence referendum = 84% turnout
- 1998 good friday agreement referendum = 81% turnout
- increase voter choice and give legitimacy on key questions
- give government mandate they need
44
Q
referendums not good for participation stats
A
- people are not interested in such niche and small issues
- 2012 birmingham directly elected mayor referendum (metro mayors) = only 27% turnout
- 1998 greater london authority referendum = 34% turnout
45
Q
referendums are and are not representative
A
representative:
- public consulted on key issues
- require majority - idea of legitimacy
- settles issues which the public deem as important
- offset impact of FPTP and fusion of powers
not representative:
- too much power to parliamentarians
- referendums stray away from the original question (ie lisbon treaty became about abortion OR AV REFERENDUM)
46
Q
referendums do and do not promote accountability
A
accountability:
- scale of change requires consensus and consent
- it is a legitimate + direct vote by public (parties do not assume support based on election)
- clear answers + forced to follow through on to ambiguous questions (ie david cameron resigning)
- forced to commit to voters outside election time
- force government hand (ie in a coalition)
no accountability:
- power of the party to bring such large scale change
- weapon of entrenchment
- tactical device of government (only brought by government)
47
Q
AV ref vote on lib dems
A
- lib dems agree with the conservatives to increase uni tuition, against their campaign promises
- later, lib dems have a referendum for the AV system, which 68% say no
- lib dems compromise collective government responsibility for this
- displays voting against the party, NOT the policy
48
Q
plan for if refs have not and have had a big impact on political life
A
big impact:
1. impact on elections + social division - become a key election point (refs divide society)
2. decreased apathy and boosted voter engagement
not big impact:
1. participation - minimal engagement
2. referendums have not divided society
49
Q
election results with strong mandate and vote all in one way
A
- NI sovereignty ref 1973 = 98%
- 1979 welsh devolution ref = 80%
50
Q
election results with no strong mandate and vote all in different ways
A
- scottish independence ref = 45-55%
- brexit = leave = 52%, remain = 48%
- AV referendum = 66% no, 32% yes
