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Julie A level Politics > The electoral system > Flashcards

The electoral system Flashcards

1
Q

Name some of the reforms that have been introduced to address complaints of corruption in the FOTP or changing in political attitudes

A

1 constituency boundaries
2 extent of the franchise
3 the ballot

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2
Q

What did the reform acts of 1832 and 1867 do

A

Gave the vote to more men

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3
Q

How did these reforms continued

A

Extended franchise to women and 18 year olds

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4
Q

Which successful electoral systems have been introduced in the uk which have brought critics to FPTP

A

1 the additional members system in wales Scotland and Greater London assembly
2 single transferable vote in Northern Ireland
3 between 2000 and 2022 supplementary vote was used in London for election of Lord Mayor

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5
Q

What does accountability mean in the political sense

A

Citizens judge their elected representative for their policies and actions during their time in office

An opportunity to participate in democracy

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6
Q

What do elections offer people

A

Opportunity to elect a government using their vote to try to shape policies of the nation and hold their elected representative accountable for their actions over the previous=ious term

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7
Q

What are the creatures of all elections in UK

A

1 secret ballot
2 universal suffrage
3 regular elections regulated independently
4 clear voter choice on the ballot

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8
Q

What is an electoral system

A

Process by which votes cast can be transferred in to elected seats

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9
Q

What are the 3 electoral systems

A

1 proportional
2 plurality
3 majoritarian

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10
Q

What is a party system

A

1 the number of parties that have a realistic chance of forming a government
2 a result of the electoral process that is chosen

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11
Q

What is a mandate

A

The right to act on behalf of a constituency as its representative
For the party that wins an election the mandate is the authority to carry out the policies within the party manifesto

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12
Q

What is a majority

A

Mathematically a majority is more than half

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13
Q

How is a elected representative and government chosen

A

1 voters choose positions to represent their views
2 candidates campaign on their personal beliefs or policies or if they are a politician on their partiys manifesto
3 by winning an election the person gains the mandate to act on behalf of their constituency
4 in most UKK elections , the election of an individuals in each constituency leads to the formation of a government - usually the party that won the majority of seats

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14
Q

What is a legitimate government

A

Government formed as a result of a free and fair election - they have the right to exercise authority over an area and the people within it

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15
Q

What is participation

A

Taking part in a political process ie voting

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16
Q

What is needed for a government to be legitimate

A

The participation of voters

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17
Q

What is turn out

A

Number usually a % of eligible voters who took part in the election

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18
Q

What Is the consequence of a low turnout

A

The election result does not effectively represent the view of the public and legitimacy of the elected government is undermined

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19
Q

What do most governments in th UK gain

A

A majority of seats but not majority of votes cast - but regarded as legitimate having won a majority of seats under FPTP rules

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20
Q

How do elections limit government power

A

1 a government know’s they will face another election in about 5 years and in order to retain power they must think about the actions they take - limiting their power.
2 Elections also result in of those who do not form a government legitimately elected opposition who see k to scrutinise and challenge government policy

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21
Q

What are the 3 categories that the electoral system fall Into

A

1 majoritarian
2 plurality
3 proportional

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22
Q

What is ,majoritarian

A

A majority of 50% + 1 votes to win - the minimum number of votes need to win a seat or the number of seats needed by party to form a government
It is the supplementary vote system

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23
Q

What is plurality

A

Having more votes than anyone else- FPTP system

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24
Q

What is proportional system

A

Allocates seats roughly in line with the number of votes gained by a party - additional member system and single transfers sable vote

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25
Q

Describe the fixed term parliament act and elections

A

1 passed in 2011
2 laid out in legislation that UK elections should happen every 5 years on a fixed date
3 previously the PM decided when elections were called
4 act does allow for a snap election if 2/3 of MPs vote4 it can happen

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26
Q

What did the conservatives do to the act

A

2019 overturned it giving power to call an election back to the PM

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27
Q

What is a constituency

A

Geographical area containing voters who elect a representative to act on their behalf

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28
Q

What is a single member constituency

A

A constituency represented by 1 individual

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29
Q

What is a minority government

A

A party that has a minority

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30
Q

Describe how the purity system is used

A

1 single member constiruencies
2 it is a plurity system
3 votes are cast for a person nit a party
4 uk is divided into 650 constituencies each with an electorate of about 70,000 people
5 each constituency is represented by 1 seat in Hoc C hall by an MP (single member constituencies)
6 each party selects a candidate to run for election in a constituency
7 voters cast a single ballot by placing X in a box next to candidates name
8 candidate with the most votes wins the constituency seat
The winning candidate in each constituency is sent to be an MP in parliament
Party with majority of MPs can form a government
If no party has a majority 2 or more parties may form a coalalition

31
Q

Describe a ballot paper for FPTP

A

Candidates are listed in alphabetical order by surname
If they are standing on behalf of a party the party logo is on the right

32
Q

Identify the unusual results at the last 4 elections

A

2010 - Lib Dem /cons coalition
2015 - very small conservative majority
2017 - agreement between conservative and DUP who pledged 10 elected members to support May in money or no confidence (confidence and supply)
2019 Johnson won a sizeable majority

33
Q

Why does the plurality FPTP system become a 2 party system

A

To win a seat they have to win more votes than the person who came 2nd- called winner takes all anyone not coming first gains nothing .
FPTP system benefits parties that have a lot of support in big geographical areas
Eg labour - concentrated in urban areas conservative concentrated in rural areas
Smaller parties find it difficult to compete - supporters are thinly spread across the country

34
Q

What is the winners bonus

A

The effect of FPTP which over rewards the winning party in an election

35
Q

How many seats does a party need to win to for a government

A

331

36
Q

What is the advantage of a strong single party government

A

1 can form a strong stable government
2 it can pass laws with ease
3 unlikely to face unexpected election

37
Q

What is a coalition

A

A government created from 2 or more parties following an election

38
Q

What is confidence and supply

A

An agreement between 2 parties
in which a party or independent members of a parliament agree to support the government in motions of confidence and appropriation votes.

39
Q

State the differences between coalition and confidence and supply

A

Coalition
1 formal agreement between 2 or more parties both forming a government
2 results in creation of joint policies both are expected to support
3 the government formed from members of both parties

Confidence and supply
1 more informal agreement between government and another party
2 results in an agreement to support the government on issues of confidence and supply in return for government supporting issues important to the party
3 government is formed from one party

40
Q

What are safe seats

A

A party can almost guarantee victory in a particular seat

41
Q

What are marginal seats

A

Where voter loyalty in a constituency is more evenly split between parties - winner is more difficult to predict

42
Q

What is a spoiled ballot

A

A ballot that is incorrectly filled in and so is ignored

43
Q

What are the advantages of FPTP

A

1 simplicity - simple process and produces quick result. Voters know how it works
2 strong government - should produce a strong single party government who can effectively lead the country
3 MP constituency link - it gives a clear link between area and representative and accountability to constituents
4 central policies - it keeps extreme its parties out of office

44
Q

What are the disadvantages of FPTP

A

1 lack of voter choice - the 2 party system gives voters a lack of real choice which reduces turnout or encourages tactical voting
2 unequal vote value - because constituency sizes are unequal the votes of one person can be more valuable than another depending where they live undermining the principles of democracy
3 no majority needed- to win a constituency only a plurality is needed so more people can actually vote against the winning abdicate - undermining legitimacy and wasting votes of those for the losing candidate
4 disproportionate result - compared to the % of votes they receive the 2 main parties are over represented through the winner bonus

45
Q

What challenges have FPTP seen in 21st century

A

1 more safe seats - a significant jump of safe seats in recent elections and marginal seats which reinforces the increased inequality in the value of the vote across the uk
2 it can create disproportionate results . With more votes being cast for third parties the result has been more disproportionate
3 failure to deliver a strong single party government - a number of recent elections have cast doubt if FPTP produces a strong, stable government

46
Q

Should FPTP be replaced in UK GE

A

Yes
1 recent elections demonstrate FPTP no longer can be relied on to fulfil the promise of a strong single government
2 produces poor results regardless of voter choice -
3 the government it delivers can be said to lack legitimacy as it does not have the majority of the votes
3 the inequality in voter value across the uk does not fit the principle of one person one vote
4 many votes are wasted and have little impact on election outcome, undermines legitimacy and encourages tactical voting and may discourage turnout — all of these undermine democratic principles
5 2 party system demonstrates a lack of true competition undermines democratic principles

No
1 it is understood by the public so they are more likely to vote improving the legitimacy of the government
2 governments produces have mostly been strong and stable
3 it is possible for smaller parties to so well but keep extreme parties out of office so allows best of both worlds
4 the choice for voters in a 2 party system and likelihood of single party government makes it easy for voters to hold a government to account
5 maintains strong link between geographical constituencies and a specific `MP so whole of UK is represented in parliament

47
Q

2011 a referendum took place over whether to replace FPTP what were the drawbacks of the referendum

A

1 public only given choice to replace with AV

48
Q

What is the additional members system AMS

A

Electoral system that uses 2 votes - one for local representative and one for regional with aim of a more proportional result - used in Scotland and Welsh parliament

49
Q

How does AMS system work

A

1 at polls vote is given 2 ballots to cast a vote
2 in the constituency vote they are voting for a person and in the regional vote for a party.
2 first , vote works same way as FPTP
3 athe second part is designed to correct problems created by FPTP and uses d’hont formula - number of votes for a party divided by number of seats a party has gained as constituency level +1 , the first seat is allocated to the party with the highest number - this is repeat until all seats are allocated to a party
3 each person in Scotland is represented by local MSP in their constituency and several in their region

50
Q

What is the impact of AMS

A

Likely to result in multi party system
2 smaller parties can have limited success
3 likely result in coalition

51
Q

Advantages of AMS

A

1 proportional result - second stage tries to correct flaws of FPTP the more seats a party gains in sonstituency the harder it is to gain regional as its votes are divided by a higher number - reduces wasted votes and ensures more parties have a chance
2 split ticket voting - voters have more choice with 2 votes to cast(can use their 2 votes on 2 different parties - split ticketing ) encourages more parties to run
3 government with broad popularity - for a single party government party must have broad popularity across the country not just in pockets
4 greater representation - all areas are represented by constituency and regional representatives there is more chance for voters that someone will share their ideas represents them - increases turnout
5 MP constituency lin - each constituency is small area and each MP is attached to a a constituency giving votes a direct link to national politics and encourage engagement

52
Q

Disadvantages of AMS

A

1 more complicated - can put voters off as they feel votes are mathematically manipulated
2 unlikely single party government, coalition more likely- governments may be weaker and find it difficult to pass polices they campaigned
3 FPTP is used for the first round so has the FPTP disadvantages
4 different types of representation - it creates 2 tiers constituency and regional and this can cause tension and confusion for voters and blurs accountability
5 party control - in regional vote the party controls list of candidates that voters can support so influences party leadership

53
Q

Where is single transferable vote STV bad where is it used

A

Used in northern Irish assembly and the only system in Uk allowing ordinal voting - this allows voters to rank candidates in Oder of preference

54
Q

How does STV work

A

1 Northern Ireland is divided into 18 multi member regions each electing 6 representatives to send to the Northern Ireland assembly

2voter has ballot paper showing all candidates running in the region and they rank the candidate

3 when election is over total number of ballots cast in each region is counted

4 in order to win a candidate needs to achieve the drop quota
Total number of votes +1/number of seats available +1 and _+1 to the answer

5 candidate who achieve drop quota are given a seat

6 if there are seats remaining and no one else has reached the drop quota the candidate with fewest votes is eliminated and votes are redistributed

7 the process continues until all seats in the region are filled

55
Q

What is DUP

A

Democratic unionist party

56
Q

What are the effects of using STV

A

The result is a multiparty system and produces a coalition government
Parties have to work together after the election to agree how to govern
Safe seats are reduced and the value of each vote is more uniform

57
Q

What are the advantages of STV

A

1 proportional result - delivers results that closely correlate between % of votes cast and % of seats gained increasing legitimacy of results

2 voter choice - is increased between and within parties. If they support a party but don not like the candidate they can choose someone else from the party

3 greater representation - multi member constituencies means a voter is likely to have someone elected who shares their ideology or belief

58
Q
A
59
Q

What are the disadvantages of STV

A

1 more complicated process after the vote has happened and this could reduce turnout

2 unlikely single party government - proportional nature of STV means a coalition is the most likely result which can be weaker than a single party

3 constituency links - with no local elected representative and large multi member constituencies the link between elected represents twice and local area is weaker

60
Q

What does the Good Friday agreement ensure about the Northern Ireland executive

A

There has to be a coalition in government

61
Q

What is a supplementary vote SV majoritarian system

A

Voters can express 2 preferences

62
Q

How does the supplementary vote work

A

1London is treated as 1 big constituency for London mayor
2 ballot papers have all the candidates names listed and 2 boxes . Others put an x in each column
3 all first choices are counted and if anyone has a simple majority they win and second preferences are ignored
4 if no one has a majority all but the top 2 candidates are eliminated and their votes ignored
5 with 2 candidates left and all votes redistributed one person has a majority

63
Q

What are the effects of SV

A

Likely to result in 2 party system and produce strong single party government

64
Q

What are the advantages of SV

A

1 majority result - SV ensures that the winning candidate has a secure majority, increasing legitimacy and a strong stable government
2 voter choice - voters have more choice than FPTP knowing they can vote for a smaller party and use their second vote to ensure their vote is not wasted

3 simple system - it is easy to understand how votes are cast and counted in this system

4 extremist parties - requiring the winner to gain a majority means it is unlikely for small or extreme parties to be successful

65
Q

What are the disadvantages of SV

A

1 two party dominance - unlikely that 3rd parties do well and the result is not proportional

2 a false majority - a candidate only needs to gain a majority in the votes that count, in the second round the vote if anyone with no second preference is not counted meaning the winning candidate does not have a true majority

3 wasted votes - these have no impact
4 tacticle voting - sv might encourage tactical use of second preference

66
Q

What is the impact of UK electoral system on types of government

A

Proportional system has led to a greater number of coalition or minority governments being formed

67
Q

What is the impact of uk electoral system on parties and the party system

A

The number of parties competing in elections and forming governments has increased

68
Q

What is the impact of the UK electoral system on voters and voter choice

A

Using different systems to FPTP improves turnout

69
Q

List 4 recent uses of referendums

A

1 give more power to Welsh assembly 2011
2 when considering replacing FPTP 2011
3 giving Scotland the vote for independence in 2014
4 UK public vote to leave EU in 2016

70
Q

What is a referendum

A

A yes or no vote offered to the public on a single issue

71
Q
A
72
Q

When might a referendum be called

A

1 in response to public pressure
2 help resolve a controversial issue dividing a party
3 to lend legitimacy to a large institute by change

73
Q

Are referendums good for the uk

A

Yes
They can encourage participation and education
W they provide clear answers to political issues
3 they have enhance liberal democracy by limiting government power
4 the management of a referendum is overseen by independent electoral commission so limits government manipulation
5 provides another way for the public to engage in politics between elections

No
1 turnout is often low which undermines legitimacy
W close results can be decisive
3 campaigns around referendums can be misleading and raise questions over legitimacy
4 the government decides if and when to call a referendum - giving them power
5 they have undermined democracy in uk challenging key principles in which elected representitives act in the interests of the voters
6 issues raised are often to complex to be just a yes or no and voters don’t have enough information
7 parliamentary sovereignty is undermined-on,8

Julie A level Politics (19 decks)

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