Electoral systems Flashcards
1
Q
What is the majoritarian electoral system?
A
based on individual voting districts that each elect on member of parliament (single member electorates)
2
Q
What are the advantages of majoritarian electoral system?
A
- helps to create a strong relationship between elected parliamentarians and the people they represent
- MP are more likely to be accessible to their constituents and to be responsive to their interests and concerns esp. when a community has a clear identity
- reflects original purpose of parliament; to provide a voice for people in political decision making
- clear parliamentary majorities (+ dominance of larger parties and exaggerated majorities) and stable govt.
3
Q
What are the disadvantages of majoritarian electoral system?
A
- unfair to minority groups - will have little impact unless its supporters are geographically isolated
- narrow the range of backgrounds of MPs - parties feel the need to select the ‘most broadly acceptable’ candidates i.e. not women or racial/ethnic minorities
- vote wastage - party may win very large minorities in certain electorates, the surplus votes would have been more valuable to them if it were more evenly spread geographically. Can lead to a party achieving a majority of the votes but losing the election because their support is concentrated in large minorities
- wasted majority: concentration of a party’s support
- open to manipulation of electoral boundaries. It may allow unpopular govt. to stay in power by biasing the electoral system against their opponents i.e. gerrymandering and malapproportionment
4
Q
What is a electoral system?
A
the mechanisms through which votes are counted and election results determined
5
Q
What does must be balanced in a liberal democracy like Australia?
A
- majority rule
- openess to minority points of view
6
Q
What is the first past the post voting system?
A
> used by WA from 1880-1908 for LA
- also known as plurality voting or simple majority voting. Voters in each electorate are required to mark the ballot with a single choice of candidate. The candidate with the highest number of votes is elected
- this simple majority may be considerably less than 50% of the votes cast
7
Q
What are the advantages and disadvantages of first past the vote?
A
ADVANTAGES
- simplicity - easy to use and therefore reduces the number of informal or invalid votes and easy to count
- basis in single member electorate
DISADVANTAGES
- not always most preferred candidate
- govt. might win a clear majority in parliament but not have gained a majority of the overall vote. This can mean that elected govt. do not have a clear mandate for their policies
- vote splitting - in ‘three conered’ contests 2 close candidates can split the support for their position and allow the election of a less preferred 3rd candidate
8
Q
What is preferential voting?
A
>adopted in 1908 for LA elections in WA
- also known as alternative voting, chosing to ensure that the winning candidate was the most widely supported candidate. The winner must gain an absolute majority (50% + 1) of votes in the electorates
- candidates are numbered by voters to express preferences. If one candidate gets an absolute majority of 1st preferences (primary votes) are immediately elected when no candidates achieves an absolute majority a preference distribution is carried out. The least successful candidate is eliminated and their ballots are transferred to their 2nd preference. The transfer of preferences continues until one candidate has accumalated over 50% support
- WA uses exhaustive preferential voting - where voters are required to show the preferences for all candidates on the ballot paper
9
Q
What are the advantages and disadvantages of preferential voting?
A
ADVANTAGES
- successful candidate can claim to be most preferred candidate as have gained an absolute majority
- voters who voted for minor candidates have not ‘wasted’ their vote as their preference allocation may influence the outcome
- to attract the preferences of minor parties + independents the major parties may be forced to develop more ‘inclusive’ policies (policies that incorporate some of the aims of other candidates)
- closely aligned parties can put up separate candidates (more choice for voters) and by exchanging preferences, avoid splitting their vote (‘three cornered problem’)
DISADVANTAGES
- greater complexity - more informed votes and takes longer to determine the result
- makes choice faced by voters more complex - donkey voting where a voter has no real preference simply writes numbers in order down the ballow paper - impossible to distinguish from intentional preferences so counted
- because many voters follow pary’s ‘how to vote cards’ may end up giving their vote to candidates they don’t prefer
10
Q
What is proportional electoral system?
A
>since 1987 used for WA LC and Senate
- aim is to achieve a close relationship between the overall % of votes cast for a party/independents and the % of seats they win in parliament
- voting system based on multimember electorates in which each successful candidate must achieve a quota - a fraction of the vote that reflects the number of positions to be filled from the electorate. Under proportional voting, the proportion of seats won by each party is approx equal to its proportion of the popular vote
- smaller parties are more likely to be successful in this voting system compared to the HoR because they only need to attain a much smaller % i.e. around 5% +
11
Q
What are the advantages and disadvantages of the proportional electoral system?
A
ADVANTAGES
- the share of seats gained will be close to their share of the vote - there will be a more accurate representation of the interests and views of the community in parliament
- it virtually eliminates vote wastage, prevents gerrymandering and may reduce malapproportionment
- it is more likely to encourage the nomination of a more diverse range of candidates - the general experience is that more people from minority groups and women are elected under this system
DISADVANTAGES
- weaker relationship between voters + their representations
- voters are more likely to vote by party, not individual representative (increases party dominance of politics)
- when the quota required is small, it may lead to the election of very radical parties - this can be overcome by detting a minimum ‘threshold’
- it is less likely that one party/coalition will gain a majority, of seats and minority parties/independents are more likely to hold the balance of power. Can pose a problem in the lower house
- the final distribution of preferences can create a lottery for the last quota between several parties/independents none of whom achieved a quota in their own right
12
Q
What is the voting system used in federal parliament and what are the features of Australia’s democracy?
A
HoR
- 150 members, 3 years terms - based on population (electorates)
- preferential voting system - absolute majority 50% + 1
Senate
- 76 members, 6 year terms - based on state - equal representation
- proportional representation
In Australia we have:
- we have freedom of speech, religion association and choice
- equality of the sexes - in laws antidiscrimination
- secular state - no state religion
13
Q
What are duties and rights of citizens?
A
- obey the law
- enrol in electoral roll
- vote in elections and referendums
- defend Australia in cases of attack (conscription)
14
Q
What are the benefits of citizenship?
A
- helps promote democracy
- allows multicultarlism and a sense of a united nation
15
Q
What is a compromise/hybrid electoral system?
A
MIXED MEMBER ELECTORATES (PARALLEL)
- elector casts 2 votes one for a local candidate and one for a political party, adopted in NZ, Wales and Scotland
- in NZ
- district electorates based on 1st past the post
- national electorate based on preferential, 120 seats in unicameral parliament (HoR)
- inteneded to have a strongly proportional result but maintain an effective link between representations and voters
- pros: more representative of the backgrounds and interests of its voters
