Electorial systems 1

Question 1

What is electoral formula?

Answer 1

How votes are translated in to seats

Question 2

What describes how the choices are presented on the ballot paper?

Answer 2

The BALLOT STRUCTURE

Question 3

How are the number of representatives in a district described?

Answer 3

The DISTRICT MAGNITUDE

Question 4

How are the 3 main electoral systems described?

Answer 4

• Majoritarian
• Proportional
• Mixed

Question 5

How is a system which individuals cast a vote for a candidate in a single member district described?

Answer 5

A single-member district plurality system (SMDP)

(first past the post)

• Most commonly used electorial system in the world

Question 6

What are three advantages to SMDP systems?

Answer 6

• Relative simplicity
• Only one representative per district
• Associated with single party majority government

Question 7

In 1983 what % of votes did the Alliance get and how many seats did this equate to?

Answer 7

25.4% of votes, 3.5% of seats

Question 8

What are disadvantages of SMDP?

Answer 8

• Produces unrepresentative outcomes at local and national level
• Encourages strategic voting
• Can lead to ethnic strongholds - esp in Africa

Question 9

In what system do voters rank the candidates?

Answer 9

Alternative vote or Preferential voting

Question 10

How is the canditate chosen in an alternative vote system?

Answer 10

• Single Member districts
• If not majority, canditate with lowest number of 1st pref votes eliminated. His ballots examined for 2nd pref votes
• Repeated until one candidate has maj

Question 11

What is the most famous country to use AV?

Answer 11

Australia

Question 12

How in Australia do parties try to manipulate the result in AV seats?

Answer 12

Giving how to vote cards out which show voters which parties to support tactically or in alliance with other parties

Question 13

What advantages does AV have?

Answer 13

• Voters can convey more information about their preferences
• Less incentive to engage in strategic voting
• Parties have to attract not only support from base supporters but also from second preferences of others

Question 14

Why have some new democracies adopted AV?

Answer 14

The need to build broad support and negociate between the parties for 2nd pref votes makes it seem useful in divided societies such as SA and BiH

Question 15

What are disadvantages of AV?

Answer 15

• Winning candidate does not have “genuine Majority”

- Complicated

Question 16

What system sees an extra vote if no majority?

Answer 16

The TWO-ROUND system