UK - ST2: AMS 12M Flashcards
Proportional and Fair
KU
One strength of AMS is it is more proportional and fair. This is because AMS is a hybrid system that combines the FPTP element of voting for a single person with a second vote for a party. This gives voters more choice in who to vote for. All of the votes are then counted and the results are analysed with the regional seats being distributed in a way that makes the overall result more proportional. By being a proportional system, the overall results are much closer to the overall vote.
Proportional and Fair
Example
For example, in 2021, the Conservative party won around 24% of the vote and 24% of the seats.
Proportional and Fair
A
This shows that AMS provides fair representation because it gives voters the chance to vote for the party that they support the most and means that there will be members of the party in their region and in their constituency that they can go to for help and that can represent their beliefs in parliament. It also gives smaller parties a better chance of winning seats in parliament and means that less votes are ‘wasted’ by taking more people’s party preferences into account, therefore decreasing voter apathy and encouraging higher voter turnout as it results in less people feeling as though their vote doesn’t matter.
Proportional and Fair
Against KU
However, AMS is not truly proportional as it isn’t completely fair this is because AMS splits Scotland up into regions. This means that if a party has a high percentage of the vote in one region, that party can get more seats overall. This will not necessarily reflect the votes of the electorate across the whole of Scotland.
Proportional and Fair
Against Example
For example, in 2021 the Greens gained 5% of the vote and gained 8 seats whereas the Liberal Democrats gained 6% of the vote but only 4 seats.
Proportional and Fair
Against A
This shows that Ams is limited in providing fair representation as the party that wins the most seats in a region might not reflect the votes of the entire country which might leave people feeling angry/they may feel that their vote doesn’t matter as it might have been ‘cancelled out’ by another party that doesn’t reflect their beliefs. It may mean that the majority of Scotland’s opinions/views are being overshadowed by that of one or two regions. It also could mean that the laws/bills that the majority of the country want passed aren’t being passed because the other party (that represents one or two regions) are stopping them from going through.
Electorate More Power KU
Another strength of AMS is it gives the electorate more power. This is because voters get two ballots to fill out through AMS. This means that there is an increased chance that one of the voter’s choices will win. A voter might feel that their first choice for MSP in their constituency is unsuccessful, but their second vote counts towards MSPs being appointed for the party they support.
Electorate More Power
Example
For example, a Labour voter in Aberdeen central would be disappointed by the SNP winning the seat but their votes would have helped gain 2 Labour MSPS in the Northeast region.
Electorate More Power
A
This shows that AMS provides fair representation as it means that tactical voting is less likely as people aren’t having to think about who is most likely to win and basing their vote on whether they like that MSP or not. Instead, they can base their vote on the party they support most and know that there is a higher chance that an MSP from that party will represent them.
Electorate More Power
Against KU
However, it doesn’t provide fair representation because the system also gives more power to parties (rather than the electorate.) This is because in order to make the results of elections that use AMS more proportional, voters only pick an MSP for their local area. The second vote is for a party, not a specific MSP. This means that each party decides who they want to be on the list of additional MSPs.
Electorate More Power
Against Example
For example, in the 2021 election Conservative MPSP Alexander Burnett won the constituency vote in Aberdeenshire West. However, the Conservatives had also placed him on the list to almost guarantee him a seat.
Electorate More Power
Against Analysis
This shows that AMS is limited in providing fair representation because voters don’t choose who they feel will represent them best, they only vote for the party they support. This means that the MSP(s) selected by the party might not be someone that the voter likes , which may lead them to feel that their vote was wasted. It also means that the party gets the power of choosing the specific person that wins, robbing the voter of their ability to choose on their own. The MSP selected may also be disliked by the rest of the country, which may lead them to feel unrepresented also.
