EXTRA-Proportional and hybrid UK systems Flashcards
What was Labour’s plant report 1993?
the plant report was the outcome of an enquiry set up to consider the most appropriate electoral systems for Labour’s proposed Scottish Parliament, regional assemblies and reformed HOL.
What system of voting did the Plant Report 1993 recommend?
the supplementary vote (SV)
What is the supplementary vote?
this is a simple variation of Alternative Vote, used to elect London’s Mayor. If no candidate wins outright in the single-member constituency contest, the second preference votes of all other candidates are distributed between the top two, so that one of them ultimately has a majority
What is the supplementary vote a cross between?
the alternative vote and the French double ballot
What are the 3 advantages of the supplementary vote?
- likely to lead to majority governments
- retains a single member constituency links
- avoids counting of ‘weak’ preferences as only first and second choice is recorded in the ballot box
What are the 2 main disadvantages of the supplementary vote?
- It is not proportional and would not therefore complete arithmetical justice
- Like FPTP it would also tend to reward parties that have concentrated areas of support
What is the most common method of achieving the goal of proportionality?
the list system
What is the list system which is the most common method of achieving the goal of proportionality?
An elector votes for several party candidates rather than just a single candidate. The number of votes won by the party determines how many candidates are elected from that parties list
What is an open list system?
This is where there is a degree of voter choice so that the voters have some say in deciding which candidates are elected.
Which countries use an open list system? (3)
- Austria
- Finland
- Sweden
Which countries use a closed list system? (3)
- Portugal
- Spain
- UK in the European elections 1999
What is a closed list system?
In a closed list system the voter chooses one party and has no control over which of its candidates are successful.
What would lead to a more proportional result in both the open list system and the closed?
larger constituencies
What electoral system does Israel have which leads to even very small parties becoming likely to win seats?
they treat the whole country as one giant multi membered constituency allowing a very ‘fair’ outcome
For the British European Elections what is the country divided into?
75 multi-member constituencies
How are seats divided in the British European Elections?
seats are divided between parties according to the share of the vote that each has gained
How many MEPs did UKIP win in the European elections 2014?
24
What are the 4 advantages of the closed list system?
- there is a strong connection between votes won and seats obtained
- it is fairer to small parties
- likely to produce coalitions
- good at securing the representation of more women and minority groups in the legislature
What are the 4 disadvantages of a closed list system?
- they place power in the hands of party mangers who can reduce the chance of troublesome candidates from winning
- they deny voters a choice of candidates
- make coalitions more likely
- there is no clear link between MP and their constituency
What is an Alternative Vote?
the voter simply marks the candidate in order of preference. If a candidate gets an overall majority he/she is elected. If no one does, the bottom candidate is eliminated and the votes of his/her supporters are redistributed to the others based on the second choice. The process continues until one person emerges with a majority.
