Voting System analysis Flashcards
Why was STV chosen for Northern Ireland?
- It forced the nationalists and unionists to share power following the Good Friday Agreement; made sure no side became antagonised by the other
- By giving voters the chance to vote for multiple candidates, it may force nationalists to consider voting for a reasonable unionist, and vice versa
- By working with each other collaboratively in government, it was not as easy for for the unionists and nationalists to demonise on another, which helped lead to a reduction in conflict
What % of voters have expressed support for a cross-community party?
21%. This shows more people are willing to vote in a way that does not align with their usual preferences. This has helped ease the divide and bring nationalists and unionists together
What proportion of STV voters vote for the minor parties?
1/3
What is the average number of preferences listed by STV voters?
3.4
AMS is designed to meet the need for what?
Local government
Why was AMS introduced to Scotland?
The Blair government wanted to introduce devolution and a Scottish parliament. To get support for this Scottish parliament, they needed to reduce the dominance that they had been enjoying under FPTP in Scotland, so as to make the new parliament diverse and worthwhile. AMS was therefore a form of compromise, maintaining constituency seats while reducing Labour’s overall influence through top up seats, as these would educe the winner’s bonus present in the FPTP system
How did AMS come to shackle the Labour party in Scotland?
It has led to the SNP government since 2007
Why was AMS chosen for Wales?
Again, the Blair governments did this primarily to retain the MP-constituency link while also reducing Labour dominance through the interest of top up seats; as this would prevent the public from resenting the new Senedd.
What did the Welsh government want to do to ensure that no party had too much political control?
They planned a set of committees with a cabinet-style executive, where each committee would have a different leader
How has AMS proved problematic for Labour in Wales?
It has made it difficult for them to form a majority while also proving beneficial to the conservatives
Why was SV chosen for London?
Designed by political scientists as a way to provide a clear mandate in a simple, straightforward way
Who gets a lot of the second preference votes under SV in London?
The Greens
How can AMS be seen as having achieved its purpose in Wales?
It has produced either minority governments or governments with just a small majority, and has therefore been a success in reducing Labour’s monopoly of power in Wales
How has the second preference under SV in London helped increase the mandate of London mayors?
In most cases, the candidate with the most first preference votes will the accumulate the majority of the second preference votes too
What did the 2016 Stormont elections see a 50% increase in?
Women’s representation
