Electoral systems and referendums

Question 1

What are constituencies?

Answer 1

Geographical territories with roughly equal numbers of voters/constituents

Question 2

Who sets the boundaries for constituencies?

Answer 2

• 4 commissions
• Boundary commission for England
• Boundary commission for Scotland
• Boundary commission for Wales
• Boundary commission for N. Ireland
• Established in 1944

Question 3

What was the parliamentary boundaries act 1986?

Answer 3

Stated that the number of constituencies in Great Britain could not be substantially bigger or smaller than 613

Question 4

What was the effect of the parliamentary boundaries act 1986?

Answer 4

It took away the flexibility the commissions have for redrawing the boundaries
- 1950 625 constituencies
- 2010 650 constituencies

Question 5

What caused the 2019 general election to have constituencies for such unequal populations?

Answer 5

The 2013 and 2018 reviews were scrapped so electoral data form 2000 was used to draw up 2019 electoral boundaries - it led to only 236 constituencies with electorates within 5% of the average

Question 6

How does a party win a general election?

Answer 6

Win more than half of the 650 seats available to form a majority government

Question 7

What is a hung party?

Answer 7

Where no party wins an absolute majority of seats

Question 8

How can a hung parliament be solved?

Answer 8

Coalition government
Minority governement

Question 9

Explain the 2010 coalition government

Answer 9

• The conservatives won 306 seats
• The lib dems won 57 seats
• negotiated a coalition government
• First coalition government since 1945
• Totalled 363 seats

Question 10

Explain the 2017 minority government

Answer 10

• The conservatives were 8 seats short
• Negotiated a confidence and supply deal with the DUP who had won 10 seats

Question 11

What are by elections?

Answer 11

Held when a seat becomes vacant between general elections - not when an MP changes political parties

Question 12

What are the reasons for a seat becoming vacant?

Answer 12

• Death (David Amess conservative MP for southend west)
• Resignation (Chris Matheson Labour MP for City of Chester)
• Removal for serious criminal conviction (Imran Ahmad Khan conservative MP for wakefield)

Question 13

What does the ballot paper look like under the FPTP system?

Answer 13

The voting paper contains the candidate name with their political party after it. There is also a box to put a singular X next to their preferred choice

Question 14

How do MPs win a seat under FPTP?

Answer 14

Candidates need a plurality vote in their constituency to win the seat

Question 15

What is an absolute majority?

Answer 15

Win over 50% of the vote

Question 16

What is a plurality vote?

Answer 16

Win the most amount of votes

Question 17

Why does FPTP not produce proportional national results?

Answer 17

As Mps only need a plurality vote to win a seat the percentage of seats in parliament is often different to the percentage of votes nationally

Question 18

Give an example of proportional votes not being produced in 2019 (cons, lab, lib dems, green and snp)

Answer 18

• Conservatives won 56% seats but 43.6% of vote share
• Labour won 31.2% of seats but 32.2% of vote share
• Liberal democrats 7.3% seats but 11.5% of vote share
• Green won 0.15% seats in parliament but 2.7% of vote share
• SNP won 7.3% of seats but 3.9% of vote share