Electoral Systems

Question 1

What is Duvergers Law?

Answer 1

Single Plurality systems favour 2 party systems

Question 2

Who stated that Duvergers Law is no longer correct?

Answer 2

Colomer

Question 3

What is Colomers research about Duvergers law?

Answer 3

that as the number of parties increase then there is greater risk to the established parties

Question 4

What are the 4 draw backs to FPTP according to Blau?

Answer 4

1. the decline of cube law
2. the increased voting of minority parties
3. Decreased cohesiveness of government backbenchers
4. the increase in the Pro-Labour Bias

Question 5

When was Blau written?

Answer 5

2004

Question 6

What is cube law?

Answer 6

it is when the party who gets the most votes has an advantage which extends their majority

Question 7

what is the advantage of Cube law?

Answer 7

it extends the advantage of the winner making a stable majority

Question 8

What does Blau argue has had a greater effect on voting than the decline of cube law?

Answer 8

the effect of minority parties

Question 9

voting for minorities in 1955 compared to 2015?

Answer 9

1955 - 4%

2015 - 31%

Question 10

how has minority voting effected the stability of the majority?

Answer 10

it has decreased the size of the majority making it more unstable

Question 11

King?

Answer 11

when parties are in coalition this highlights the tensions between the front and back benchers

Question 12

what is the downfall of FPTP related to decreased cohesiveness?

Answer 12

constituency voting leads to MPs having their own agenda in parliament

Question 13

What forms does the labour bias come in?

Answer 13

size bias (to do with voter distribution), Turnout bias (they win in constituencies with lower turnouts) and subnational constituency bias

Question 14

What did Blau say about the electoral system?

Answer 14

Britain’s electoral system has done its job at most elections

Question 15

Evaluation of Blau statement about the electoral system?

Answer 15

it hasn’t done a good job and it doesn’t mean that it will continue to do its job

Question 16

how does Blau think that FPTP is working today?

Answer 16

not working very well

Question 17

Who said Electoral reform is likely to take place?

Answer 17

Blau and

Question 18

Under what method of PR would have Lib Dems won?

Answer 18

Coombs

Question 19

Who said that the system is no longer effective at denying third party votes?

Answer 19

Curtice

Question 20

what is a problem with predicting the way people will vote not in FPTP?

Answer 20

protest voting would decrease and labour and conservative would decrease - how the true impact is unknown.

Question 21

2015 - J Curtice about who the FPTP system favours?

Answer 21

it now favours the conservatives and the labour bias has been minimised

Question 22

what are the proposals the conservatives have made?

Answer 22

want change from 650 seats to 600

Question 23

what is the purpose of the propsals of the conservative?

Answer 23

to reinstate the winners bonus

Question 24

what does Curtice argue about the conservative propsals?

Answer 24

it won’t be enough to negate the impact of the SNP

Question 25

what was the level of disproportionality between 1950-70? why?

Answer 25

it was relatively proportional due to the 2 party system.

Question 26

which index says that 2015 was most unpropotional yet?

Answer 26

Loosemore-Hanby index and the Sainte-Lague index

Question 27

which index said that 2015 was no more disproportional than 1992?

Answer 27

Gallgher index

Question 28

what was the Loosemore- Hanby index for 1979 and 2015?

Answer 28

1979- 15.2

2015 - 24

Question 29

what was the Gallgher Index for 1979 and 2015?

Answer 29

1979 - 11.6

2015 - 15

Question 30

What were the 2 ways Duverger thinks that simple plurality reinforces the 2 party system?

Answer 30

psychological - not a wasted vote mechanics - more difficult for smaller parties to win seats

Question 31

advantages of simple plurality? (5)

Answer 31

1. easy to understand
2. produces a clear outcome
3. produces a strong stable government
4. voters can directly eject unpopular governments
5. link between MPs and constituencies

Question 32

Disadvantages of simple plurality? (3)

Answer 32

1. disproportionate
2. wasted votes
3. limited choice

Question 33

under simple pluraliry who would have won the 2015 election?

Answer 33

conservatives

Question 34

under AV who would have won the 2015 election?

Answer 34

conservatives would have increased their majority

Question 35

under list PR who would have won 2015?

Answer 35

massie decrease in conservative and massive increase in UKIP and Lib Dem (ukip-80 seats and libdem -47 seats)

Question 36

who would have won under STV in 2015?

Answer 36

conservatives majority massively decreased and no change for labour and 54 for UKIP, 26 for lib dem and decrease for SNP

Question 37

How does AMS work?

Answer 37

elector has 2 votes constituency and regional list - regional is selected through list PR and constituency is elected through simple plurality

Question 38

problems with AMS?

Answer 38

it has to balance 2 types of representative and more complicated

Question 39

How does STV work?

Answer 39

voter list their preferences and canditiadate must achieve a quota

Question 40

what is the STV quota called?

Answer 40

droop quota

Question 41

how does AV work?

Answer 41

single member constituencies which require 50%+1, and voters list preferences until this is achieved.

Question 42

problem with AV?

Answer 42

not proportional

Question 43

benefit of AV?

Answer 43

maintains the constituency link

Question 44

outcome of AV referendum?

Answer 44

68% voted no!