Paper 1: electoral systems Flashcards
What are five functions of an election.
1- Used to elect representatives.
2-Elections provide a democratic mandate. The winners of the election are granted democratic legitimacy, the political authority to carry out the political programme that they are proposing.
3-Elections have an educative function. During election campaigns the public can become better informed about key political issues that face their locality, region, or nation.
4-Elections provide a democratic choice for people to elect decision makers.
5- elections are the most importantly way in which citizens are involved in politics. For many it is their only form of political participation.
How are elections ‘Competitive’, ‘free’ and ‘fair’?
-competitive: should not be dominated by one, clearly superior party, without the challenge and scrutiny that comes with competent opposition.
-‘free’- freedom of information and media, almost all adults are permitted to vote, any citizen can register to stand to be an MP.
-‘fair’- secret ballot, safeguarding of the electoral commission.
What are two ways in which majoritarian and PR systems differ?
- Vote-to-seat conversion: Majoritarian systems (e.g., First Past the Post) allocate seats to candidates with the most votes in a district, often favoring larger parties. Proportional Representation (PR) systems distribute seats based on the percentage of votes each party receives, ensuring greater representation for smaller parties.
- Government formation: Majoritarian systems tend to produce single-party governments due to their winner-takes-all nature. PR systems often lead to coalition governments as no single party typically gains a majority.
Explain FPTP?
In First Past the Post (FPTP) elections, voters cast a single vote for a candidate in their electoral district. The candidate with the most votes in the district wins, even if they do not achieve an absolute majority. This system is commonly used in single-member districts.
What are some characteristics of FPTP?
- Two-party system: FPTP often favors large parties, leading to the dominance of two major parties over time, as smaller parties struggle to win seats.
- Winner’s bonus: The winning party tends to gain a disproportionately large share of seats compared to its vote share, amplifying its majority.
- Bias to one major party: FPTP can favor a party with more efficiently distributed support across districts, giving it an advantage even with similar vote shares.
- Discrimination against smaller parties: Smaller parties with dispersed support often fail to win seats, as FPTP rewards geographically concentrated votes.
- Single-party government: FPTP often produces clear majorities, making coalition governments less common and encouraging single-party rule.
What are the most compelling arguments for FPTP?
- Simplicity and clarity: FPTP is straightforward for voters to understand and quick to implement, producing clear outcomes without the complexity of proportional systems.
- Stable governments: By often delivering decisive majorities, FPTP promotes single-party governments, reducing the likelihood of political gridlock and enabling effective decision-making.
What are the two most compelling arguments against FPTP?
- Disproportional representation: FPTP often fails to reflect the overall distribution of votes, as parties with less widespread support can be underrepresented, while large parties receive disproportionate seat shares.
- Marginalizes smaller parties: Smaller and regionally dispersed parties struggle to win seats, limiting political diversity and the representation of minority voices in the legislature.
What are the most important advantages and disadvantages of AMS.
AMS
Advantages:
1. Fairer Outcomes: Combines proportional representation with constituency-based representation, striking a balance between fairness and local accountability.
- Representation of Smaller Parties: The party list element ensures that smaller parties and minority groups are better represented than in majoritarian systems.
Disadvantages:
1. Two Classes of Representatives: Constituency representatives and list representatives may be perceived as having different levels of legitimacy, potentially causing conflict.
- Complex Ballot: Voters must cast two votes (for a candidate and a party), which can confuse some and complicate the voting process.
What are the most important advantages and disadvantages of STV.
Advantages:
- Proportional Representation: Ensures that both majority and minority interests are represented, minimizing wasted votes.
- Voter Choice: Allows voters to rank candidates, providing more flexibility and reducing the need for strategic voting.
Disadvantages:
- Complexity: Both the voting process and the counting method (quota system) are challenging to understand, potentially discouraging voter participation.
- Time-Consuming: Counting the votes and redistributing preferences takes longer, delaying results.
What are the most important advantages and disadvantages of SV.
Advantages:
1. Simplicity: Easy for voters to understand, requiring them to select just one candidate. 2. Quick Results: Ballot counting is straightforward, allowing for rapid result announcements. Disadvantages:
- Lack of Proportionality: Often leads to a winner-takes-all outcome, underrepresenting smaller parties or minority groups.
- Potential for Strategic Voting: Voters might feel pressured to vote for a “safe” candidate rather than their preferred one to avoid splitting the vote.
How does the use of PR electoral systems impact the type of government formed?
Coalition Governments
•Since no single party often secures an outright majority under PR, coalition governments become the norm. Parties must negotiate and collaborate to form a governing majority, which can lead to more moderate and consensus-driven policies.
How does the use of PR electoral systems impact party representation?
Proportional Representation (PR) electoral systems significantly impact party representation in the following ways:
• PR systems ensure that the number of seats a party wins closely matches its share of the popular vote. This reduces the disproportionality often seen in majoritarian systems, where smaller parties may receive a substantial share of votes but few or no seats. • Small and niche parties benefit under PR, as even a modest share of the vote can translate into parliamentary seats. This allows diverse political perspectives, including those of minority and regional parties, to be represented in the legislature. • Larger parties are less likely to dominate under PR because they often need to share the legislature with a broader array of smaller parties. This prevents the formation of single-party majorities, common in systems like First Past the Post (FPTP).
• By enabling many parties to gain representation, PR can lead to a more fragmented party system. While this reflects voter preferences more accurately, it can make decision-making and forming stable governments more challenging.
How does the use of PR electoral systems impact voter choice?
-under a proportional system, nearly every vote counts, as every vote is an equal value and the need to vote tactically is reduced, limiting the ‘wasted vote’ habit that reinforces to party dominance in FPTP.
-with some proportional systems, such as STV, voters are even able to discriminate between candidates of the same party.
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