Voting System Examples

Question 1

Negative example of FPTP proportional representation

Answer 1

During the 2015 general election, 191 of the total 650 UK constituencies were won by a candidate who received less than 30% of the total vote.

Question 2

Positive example of AMS proportional representation

Answer 2

During the 2016 Scottish parliamentary election, the SNP won 46.5% of votes and a resultant 48.8% of available seats

Question 3

Positive example of FPTP majority government

Answer 3

Apart from the Conservative-Liberal Democrats coalition of 2010, 5 of the last 6 British governments have consisted of a relatively strong single party

Question 4

Negative example of AMS coalitions

Answer 4

During 2013, under the coalition government, a decade-low of 30 bills were passed by the government and parliament, as the ruling parties struggled to agree on legislative terms.

Question 5

Negative example of FPTP tactical voting

Answer 5

In the 2017 general election, an estimated 6.5 million votes were recorded as tactical (according to the electoral reform society)

Question 6

Negative example of FPTP proportional representation

Answer 6

During the 2005 general election, Labour received only 35% of national votes, yet gained a parliamentary majoty of 355 seats, demonstrating this systemic flaw