Theme B: European Parliament Flashcards
What are the European Parliamentary elections organized by?
The European Parliamentary elections are organized by the Regional List System.
How often do European elections take place?
European elections take place every five years.
How many Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) does the UK elect?
The UK elects 73 MEPs in total.
How many electoral regions are there in the UK for the European elections?
There are 12 electoral regions in the UK.
How are seats allocated to parties in the Regional List System?
Seats are allocated from the top of the party lists, working down.
What is one strength of the Regional List System?
It is fairer to minority parties and independent candidates.
What is one weakness of the Regional List System?
Minority parties elected may have extremist views.
How many MEPs are there in total in the European Parliament?
There are 751 MEPs in the European Parliament.
How does the Regional List System ensure representation?
If a party gets 20% of the votes, it wins roughly 20% of seats.
What was the outcome for UKIP in the 2015 General Election using FPTP?
UKIP won one seat despite securing 12.6% of the overall votes.
What was the outcome for UKIP in the 2014 European Election using PR?
UKIP had the highest number of MEPs.
What role does the European party with the largest number of MEPs take on?
The European party with the largest number of MEPs takes on the Commission President role.
What do members of UK parties do once elected?
They form alliances with the European party or parties that best represent their political ideologies.
Identify one advantage and one disadvantage of the proportional representation voting systems.
Advantage: Every vote counts, leading to fewer wasted votes.
Disadvantage: A wider range of choice may deter some from voting.
