Electoral systems

Question 1

What are the main functions of elections?

Answer 1

1. Representation 2. Choosing the government 3. Holding a government to account 4. Participation 5. Influence over policy

Question 2

What is first past the post?

Answer 2

The voting system used in the UK for local elections, by-elections and local council elections in England and Wales. FPTP is a simple plurality system where the person with the largest number of votes in a constituency (or seat) is elected. The party with the largest number of seats (not necessarily a majority of the votes cast across the country) has the right to form a government.

Question 3

What are the advantages of FPTP?

Answer 3

1. Speed and simplicity 2. Strong and stable government 3. Exclusion of extremists 4. A strong link between MPs and their constituencies

Question 4

What are the disadvantages of FPTP?

Answer 4

1. MPs and governments can be elected on less than 50% of the vote (lacks legitimacy) 2. Lack of proportionality 3. The winner’s bonus 4. Limited voter choice 5. Votes are of unequal value

Question 5

What is the additional member system?

Answer 5

A new voting system introduced in the late 1990s by the Blair government. It’s a hybrid system combining FPTP and proportional representation.

Question 6

Where is AMS used?

Answer 6

The Scottish parliament, Welsh Assembly, Greater London Assembly.

Question 7

How does AMS work?

Answer 7

Voters have two votes: one for a constituency representative, the second is for a party list. They have 4-year fixed terms.

Question 8

What are the advantages of AMS?

Answer 8

1. Introduces a proportional element, acting as a corrective to the FPTP part of the system 2. The FPTP element maintains a strong link between the member and the constituency 3. Elections have a wider choice than under FPTP

Question 9

What are the disadvantages of AMS?

Answer 9

1. It creates two different types of member- some with constituency responsibilities and some without 2. A closed list system is used meaning that the party leadership ranks candidates in order on the list 3. Smaller parties achieve less representation than under a fully proportional system

Question 10

What’s the single transferrable vote?

Answer 10

1. Uses multi-member constituencies 2. Voters number their choices preferentially 3. In order to be elected, a candidate needs to achieve a quota

Question 11

Where is STV used?

Answer 11

The Northern Ireland Assembly, European parliament elections in Northern Ireland, Scottish council elections.

Question 12

What advantages does STV have?

Answer 12

1. It’s not fully proportional 2. In large multi-member constituencies the link between the member and the voters may be weak 3. Power-sharing governments are prone to conflict

Question 13

What is the supplementary vote?

Answer 13

1. Each voter is allowed a first and a second preference vote 2. Any candidate who gains more than 50% of first preference votes is elected automatically 3.If this doesn’t happen all candidates except the top two are eliminated

Question 14

Where is SV used?

Answer 14

Elections for the London Mayor and other elected mayors, Police and CrimeCommissioners in England and Wales.

Question 15

What are the advantages of SV?

Answer 15

1. Ensures broad support for the winner 2. It is simple and straightforward to use 3. Has allowed some independent candidates to win

Question 16

What are the disadvantages of SV?

Answer 16

1. SV is not proportional as one individual is being elected to a single office 2. The winner does not need to get an absolute majority of the votes cast 3. Voters need to be able to identify the likely top two candidates in order to have influence over the outcome, and this is not always clear

Question 17

When was the first national referendum held?

Answer 17

June 1975

Question 18

What are the arguments for referendums?

Answer 18

1. Get people involved 2. A check on ‘elective dictatorship’ 3. Referendums settle arguments by showing public support for change 4. Raise voter’s political awareness
2. The conduct of referendums has been under independent supervision by the Electoral Commission since 2000 which reduces risks that the result will be skewed

Question 19

What are the arguments against referendums?

Answer 19

1. If its not explained clearly to the public popular participation may be low 2. Governments choose whether or not to call a referendum 3. Low turnout has been the norm with outstanding exceptions such as the Scottish independence referendum in 2014 4. The outcome can be influenced by factors that have nothing to do with the subject