EXTRA- FPTP Flashcards
In how many single member constituencies does voting take place?
646
In what other counties do they use FPTP? (5)
- US
- Canada
- Bangladesh
- India
- British Commonwealth
From what year have all elections to the Commons been held under FPTP?
1950
If a party has less than half the votes cast, what does this mean under FPTP?
under FPTP , even if the party has less than half the votes cast, the largest number of votes is elected
Usually the party that has secured the most votes nationally usually forms government, however what might be the case?
a party may still win an election having actually obtained less votes than its closest rivals
Who does the FPTP system over represent?
it over represents at least one of the two main parties giving them a higher proportion of seats than their number of votes
What is an example form the 2015 general which reflects how some parties may be under represented?
UKIP acquired 12.6% of the votes, almost 4 million only 1 seat
the Green Party acquired 3.8% of the votes, just over 1 million yet also got 1 seat
Liberal Democrats only got 7.9% of votes, 2 and a half million yet got 8 seats
SNP got 4.7% of vote share, 1 and a half million votes yet 56 seats
How many seats did UKIP get Green Party get Liberal Democrats get SNP get?
1 seat
1 seat
8seats
56 seats
What % of the Vote share did UKIP get Green Party get Liberal Democrats get SNP get?
- 6%
- 8%
- 9%
- 7%
How many votes did UKIP get Green Party get Liberal Democrats get SNP get?
-almost 4 million
-over 1 million
-2 and a half million
1 and a half million
What 5 main points show the advantages of FPTP?
- We know who is to form government immediately after the election is over
- Provides a strong, stable, single party government
- It provides ‘rough justice’
- close relationship between MPs and their constituency
- System is easy to understand
Unlike the proportional system, what is an advantage about knowing who is going to form government immediately after the election is over?
there is no need for private deals to be done by politicians to make bargains in secret, removed from public attention.
What is an advantage for the public about providing a single party government?
It has clear responsibility for what is done well or badly and the public can thus vote accordingly at the next election.
What is meant by the advantage of FTPF as providing ‘rough justice’?
The result may be distorted but it broadly reflects popular opinion. In 1945, 1964, 1979, 1997 and 2010 it reflected the public desire for a change of direction
What is an advantage about the fact that under FPTP there is a close relationship between the MP and their constituency?
all citizens know who to approach if they have a problem or grievance with which they need help
Which 3 countries have abandoned FTPT in favour of more proportional systems?
- Commonwelath
- New Zealand
- South Africa
Who has the discussion for electoral reform been confined to?
the members of the ‘chattering’ classes
What is electoral reform?
This means different things in different countries depending on the system of election currently infuse and what the alternatives under consideration might be. “Reform” means change and for the better, so electoral reform means something different and better than what we now have. For Westminster elections it would involve a move away from FPTP
Who are the members of the ‘chattering’ classes?
these are those members of the educated sections of society who enjoy discussion of politics, social and and cultural issues. In politics they are sometimes known as political anoraks
Which two groups in Britain have led the call to abandon the FPTP system?
Liberal Democrats and the Electoral Reform Society
Who do current critics of the FPTP system point out?
the decline in support for the two main parties and the increased support for third parties over the last generation. This backing to the centre parties show that the public favours a less confrontational form of politics and more on cooperation.
What are the 3 main criticisms of FPTP system?
1) Election results do not reflect the views of the electorate as a whole
2) The system is very harsh on small parties that are usually under-represented
3) FPTP encourages the under-representation of minority groups
In what 3 ways does FPTP not reflect the views of the electorate as a whole?
a) The number of seats won by the parties does not reflect the number of votes cast
b) the effect of the system is too over-representative of the winning party
c) the second party has benefitted from the system, accruing a higher percentage of seats than votes
What is an older example of when a party winning an election had fewer votes nationally than its rival?
February 1974
How was the FPTP system too over-representative of the winning party in 1983?
the Conservatives won c40% of the votes and c60% of the MPs elected
How is the FPTP system harsh on smaller parties such as the Liberal Democrats and UKIP?
They are more thinly spread throughout England, Scotland and Wakes, with no great area of strength
How is UKIP an example of how the FPTP system is harsh on smaller parties?
in 2015 election, they acquired 12.6% of the vote yet only one seat because their support was too thinly spread, this compares to the SNP who only gained 4.7% of the vote yet gained 56 seats
In what type of constituencies are parties more willing to run candies from all backgrounds, classes and colours?
multi member constituencies
How many people voted for labour in 2005 which was the lowest votes of an administration since 1929?
9 and a half million
in the 2005 general elections what % of MPs failed to win a majority?
65%
in the 2005 general election how many seats would the Liberal Democrats have actually received?
142 seats
How did the Conservatives not benefit from FPTP as opposed to Proportional representation?
Under PR they would have had 208 seats however only retained 197
What % of the electorate voted Labour in 2005 out of 44 million voters?
22%
Why does the fact that English constituencies are historically larger than that in Scotland and Wales work well for Labour, before the SNP?
this is because Labour dominates these areas
