Proportional Representation

Question 1

What is meant by proportional representation?

Answer 1

• is not a voting system
• it is an “umbrella term” for a number of different voting systems
• definition: proportion of votes = proportion of seats

Question 2

Describe the party list (type of PR)

Answer 2

• is the most proportional system of PR
• there are different types of Party List system
• “National Party List” is the purest form of PR

Question 3

How does the National Party List work?

Answer 3

• the % of votes that a party obtains becomes the number of MPs in Parliament
• i.e. an 100 seat Parliament with 40% of the votes gets 40 MPs -> the parties produce a list of names; so in an 100 seat Parliament, the Labour Party produce a list of 100 names ranked from 1-100 before election day; if they win 40%, the top 40 names become MPs
• e.g. if Lib Dems win 15%, the top 15 names on their list become MPs

Question 4

What are the key aspects of the AMS?

Answer 4

• hybrid/mixed voting system
• combination of FPTP with the party list system (a combination of a simple plurality & a PR system)
• the electorate make two choices when they vote: one for the candidate in their constituency & the other from the party list

Question 5

What is the Additional Member System (AMS)?

Answer 5

• it produces two types of representatives - one local & one based on the party list system
• the party-list element is used to ‘top up’ the constituency vote
• it is used in a ’corrective’ manner to achieve a more proportional vote
• its aim is to correct some of the problems created by FPTP
• used in Wales & Scotland for Senedd & Scottish Parliament elections

Question 6

Describe arguments for AMS

Answer 6

1. it is more proportional than FPTP so it’s fairer & democratic
2. split-ticket voting - encourages more parties to run & helps with participation
3. broad popularity i.e. a party needs to be popular all over the country, not just in certain areas
4. leads to greater representation
5. it retains the MP-constituency link
6. it is good for choice as smaller parties can get elected on the party list
7. as is shown by Scotland, coalition government is not inevitable & coalition government is not automatically weak or unstable
8. the partial use of party list means there are much fewer wasted votes
9. it works well where it is used: Scotland, Wales, it is used in Germany - it has not lead to weak or unstable government*
10. In Germany they use 5% threshold to prevent extremists

• recently it has destabilised governments in Scotland & Wales, however the general consensus is still valid

Question 7

Describe arguments against AMS

Answer 7

1. the party list - if it is closed party list then the party list then the party leaders will choose the list - & its order - giving party leaders too much power
2. two ranks of MPs - might one claim more legitimacy than the other
3. it would encourage extremists - in 2008 the BNP won a seat on the GLA in the most multicultural city in the UK: London
4. constituencies would need to be twice the size and would thus need re-drawing
5. coalition government is likely & might be weak or unstable
6. some might find voting complicated as there are two votes