Functions of Elections Flashcards
what are electoral systems vital for?
Electoral systems are vital for democracy
they turn votes cast into seats which were held by representatives (MPs) who act on behalf of the people
main functions of elections
representation
choosing the government
influence over policy
holding a government to account
participation
main functions of elections: REPRESENTATION
Most fundamental purpose of elections is To choose a representative to speak on behalf of the community and provide a link between them and parliament
Vital to democracy as the electoral system turns votes cast into seats each of which is held by An MP that represents the people
MPs are people that voters place
their trust in, they act in the interests of their constituents
They are not mere delegates taking instructions from constituents, they are entitled to think freely
Complicated in Westminster as there is pressure from party whips to align with the party and behave in a certain way which makes it hard to act purely in the interests of the constituency they are meant to represent
Promotions for those who obey the whip which may influence ambitious MPs but if MPs displease their constituents they can be removed at the next election
main functions of elections: CHOOSING THE GOVERNMENT
In elections, voters are choosing a government and granting it legitimacy
The leader of the party with the most amount of seats has the right to form a government
with first past the post this is usually a straightforward matter as it usually results in a strong majority
However the 2010 and 2017 elections have demonstrated that this is not always the case
The 2010 election resulted in a minority Conservative government which led to a coalition
The 2017 election resulted in another minority Conservative government which led to an agreement with the DUP
main functions of elections: INFLUENCE OVER POLICY
Both voters and small parties gain influence over policy through elections
voters have limited influence over policies but elections allow them to vote into power the party whose policies they most agree with
it also sends a message to parties not to persist with unpopular policies — Election defeats send this message
For example labour after their huge defeats in 1983 and 1997 recognised that their radical left views were not appealing and so moved more to the centre and began to modernise the party
Elections also allow smaller parties who cannot hope to form a government to put their views across and draw attention to their aims, sometimes influencing larger parties to adopt their policies
For example in the 1990s the Green party’s public profile increased and led other parties to begin to emphasise the importance of fighting climate change and tackling environmental issues, so as to not lose voters
main functions of elections: HOLDING A GOVERNMENT TO ACCOUNT
Usually every five years a government has to face a general election in order to renew its mandate to govern
Voters have the right to reject an unpopular government and MPs can also be held to account if the voters are unhappy with their performance
For example after the 2009 expenses scandal many MPs chose to stand down rather than face the electorate in the election the following year
Furthermore the 2015 Recall of MPs Act has strengthened the power of voters to remove MPs that have behaved poorly
if an MP is sentenced to prison or suspended from the Commons for over 21 days, a by-election is triggered if at least 10% of constituents sign a recall petition for that MP
main functions of elections: PARTICIPATION
Voting in elections is the most obvious way that people can get involved in politics which increases democracy and participation
Manifestoes help voters make decisions, although many do not actually read them
Much information in manifestoes can be misleading and many do not trust politicians
for example, in 2001 Labour stated in their manifesto not to introduce top up fees for university tuition, but when they won the election they increased these fees
what should an electoral system be like?
Fair representative and proportional
Involve a range of parties
Provide a link between representatives and constituencies
Result in a strong government that is able to pass laws but also be held accountable by the electorate
factors to consider when deciding which electoral system is best
Fair result that gives equal value to peoples votes
Choice of candidates
Effective link between the MP and the constituency
Strong government
types of electoral system
non-proportional
• First past the post (FPTP)
• Supplementary vote (SV)
Proportional
• Additional member system (AMS)
• Single transferable vote (STV)
• Regional party list
what is the most common system used in the UK?
FPTP
what do proportional electoral systems do?
Provide a direct link between votes and the number of seats won
what are safe seats?
Safe seats are constituencies that have always voted for a certain party and are pretty much guaranteed to vote for that party every time
The sitting MP has a secure majority and this probably won’t change, The seat is largely immune from swings in voter choice and unlikely to change hands
For example, the Maidenhead seat has voted Conservative since 1885
Around 56% of seats are safe seats, usually either belonging to Labour or Conservatives
what are marginal seats?
marginal seats are constituencies that often switch who they votes for
Seats are held by a small majority and a small swing to an opposition candidate can cause the seat to change hands
constituencies:
Average number of voters per constituency = 70,000
although this considerably varies depending on the constituency
