Electoral Systems - FPTP & STV

Question 1

First past the post

Answer 1

• plurality’s system where the candidate with the most votes will be elected (no majority)
• used in UK general elections
• voters cast one vote and the candidate with the largest number of votes in a constituency gets a seat and becomes and MP

Question 2

Advantage of FPTP - strong government

Answer 2

• leads to strong gov with clear mandate to carry out polices as the winning party can win clear majority
• gives voters a clear choice

Question 3

Advantage of FPTP - strong represetation

Answer 3

• strong represtaion in UK with small consciences
• MPs hold surgeries to listen to needs of constituency
• simple no easy for voters to understand - 1 single vote

Question 4

Disadvantage of FPTP - not proportional

Answer 4

• not a proportional system a votes don’t ranslate to seats
• benefits parties with concentrated support
• eg 2015 GE - SNP had 1.4 mill votes highly concentrated with 56 seats and UKIP had 3.8 mill with only 1 seat

Question 5

Disadvantage of FPTP - limited choice

Answer 5

• many safe seats creating limited choice
• people voting for anyone other than labour/conservatives may feel their vote is wasted

Question 6

Disadvantage of FPTP - often not minority popular vote

Answer 6

• FPTP often results in minority popular vote weakening the governments mandate
• people may also consider a government with a minority of popular vote as unrepresetitve too

Question 7

Single transferable vote (STV)

Answer 7

• divides country in multi-member consequences
• voters number their choice cnaidate in order of preference
• candidate require a certain quota to be elected
• of no candidate reaches the quota in first round of voting the one with lowest votes is eliminated and the second preference of voters supporting them are redrisbuted

Question 8

Advantage of STV- large choice

Answer 8

• means voters can choose members from different and the same party
• more choice
• encourages positive campaigning as candidate wish to gain transferred votes

Question 9

Advantages of STV - highly proportional

Answer 9

• votes and seats are highly proportional
  -parties with more thinly spread votes cab win seats
• fewer wasted votes

Question 10

Disadvantages of STV

Answer 10

• link with members & votes can be weal as there are many memebers representing the same constituents rather than one member
• much more complicated system
• donkey voting - ranking In order they appear on ballot paper

Question 11

STV v FPTP - government strength

Answer 11

• FPTP is likey to produce a government with a stronger mandate to govern under STV
• under STV a coalition is very likely which can lead to instability and less effective policy making
• STV can also result in a minority government - running without majority of seats
• FPTP can lead to minority government (conservatives 2017)

Question 12

STV v FPTP - choice of candidate

Answer 12

• FPTP - limited choice (lead to two-party system)
• STV - more choice, with multiple candidates from same party

Question 13

STV v FPTP - outcome fairness

Answer 13

• FPTP - less proportionate in transferring votes to seats
• STV - translates votes more fairly
• eg - 2017 GE witch used FPTP, the Lib Dem’s won over 7% of the votes but Nader 2% of seats

Question 14

STV v FPTP - repressive link

Answer 14

• FPTP - strong link with voters and who they voted for
• STV - weaker link between represtitve and voters because of large multi-member constituencies where many members represent the same constituency