U1- Electoral Systems Flashcards
Describe First Past the Post (FPTP)
It is the electoral system used in the U.K. General elections. It is a simple majority system whereby in each of the UK’s 650 constituencies the candidate with the most votes wins the seat and becomes the MP in that constituency.
Each voter casts a single vote and each constituency elects a single MP
The party with the most MPs forms the new government
Give 6 advantages of FPTP
Easy to use from a voters perspective
Usually creates a strong majority government- they can deliver their manifesto
The UK has worked well with this system for hundreds of years
It’s cheap and quick to have an election
There is a strong MP to constituency link
There is a basic fairness in that the party with the most votes forms the government
Give 6 disadvantages to FPTP
It is not remotely proportional! Approximately 40% of votes will give 60% of the seats
Parties who finish second get nothing
It creates a north south divide which threatens the union
There are many wasted votes
Your chosen candidate/ party may never win, depending on where you live
It is unfair to smaller parties and favours larger parties
How does FPTP impact Scotland?
Millions of labour voters are unrepresented
The UK is run by a party which is deeply unpopular in Scotland
How did FPTP impact UKIP in 2015?
UKIP got 3.5 million votes and 1 seat
SNP got 1.5 million votes and 56 seats!
This shows that having a concentration of voters is crucial to success- UKIPs votes were too widespread
What is a major criticism of the FPTP system?
It creates a situation where many MPs and the winning party which go on to form the government, do not receive the support of the majority of the electorate
What is the additional member system?
It is a mixed system which combines FPTP and proportional representation (PR)
In Scotland, voters cast 2 votes
The first vote is to elect the 73 constituency MPs
The second vote uses the party list system of PR.
In this vote the electorate chooses between parties who will represent them in their region.
There are 8 regions and each elects 7 MSPs
Give 5 advantages of AMS
The result is more proportional than FPTP as there are 2 ballot papers
It keeps a strong constituency link- one MSP will live in your area
Voters have a greater choice- mix and match
Smaller parties can benefit e.g. Greens
Usually creates coalitions which lead to compromise
Give 4 disadvantages of AMS
AMS is more complicated for voters to understand as it features 2 votes
Often creates coalition governments, they are not democratic as no one votes for a coalition!
Can often be the case that smaller parties achieve too much power
The regional MSPs are not directly voted for by the people as the people vote for a party and the party then chooses who will become an MSP. Very few people can hold them accountable as they do not know who they are
What is the Single Transferable Vote? (STV)
It is a preferential voting system in multi member constituencies
Voters rank the candidates in order of preference and can vote for as few or as many as they like
A quota system is then used to calculate the minimum number of votes required to win a seat
Give 4 arguments for STV
It is more proportional as candidates must reach a certain ‘quota’ of votes to be elected, with all votes counting and impacting the result
STV is fairer to smaller parties and gives them a better chance of gaining seats. STV allows small parties to gain a percentage of votes that matches the percentage of seats they have gained
There are usually fewer wasted votes. As candidates must reach a certain quota every vote must be counted
STV allows more choice for the electorate as they can vote for as many or as few candidates as they like
Give 4 arguments against STV
It is thought to be more confusing than many other electoral systems. People are asked to cast their vote more than once on the same ballot paper
Can often produce results to which no one agreed. It produces a result which means many local authorises have a party with no overall control
Can allow more power to fall into the hands of smaller parties. It allows parties which have little support to be involved in coalition agreements
The results take longer than other systems. The votes must be counted and recounted until a winner can be declared
How does Party List PR work?
Parties present lists of candidates and seats are awarded according to their party’s share of the vote.
This is usually done using an electoral formula or quota which prevents too many small parties from winning seats
Where is Party List PR used?
British elections to the European Parliament
Arguments for PL (Give 5)
Party List systems ensure a high degree of Party proportionality
Every vote has equal value
Simple to understand- voters have to make one choice out of a small selection
Open lists over voters more choice and control over who is elected
Traditional creates coalition governments and this results in a broader range of parties being represented
