WEEK 6 - Elections & Voters Flashcards
What are Elections to Political Elites?
- Showcase their ideas
- Engage in intense debate about political choices (Campaign)
What are Elections to the electorate (The People)?
- Express Views
- Elect and hold accountable
politicians (what about safe
seats?) - Influence Govt. formation
and policy (Know what
Govt. you get)
- Learn about political system and political alternatives (What parties stand for, All the differing views we got)
What is an electoral system?
- Set of rules governing an
election
What does the Electoral system determines?
- Which candidate wins a
contested seat or position - How votes are translated to seats in legislature
What are the key trade-offs for electoral systems?
- Representativeness V Effectiveness
- Compromise V Determinism
What are the types of electoral systems?
- Plurality & Majoritarian Systems (FPTP)
- Proportional Representation (PR) (List PR, Single Transferable Vote (STV))
What is Duverger’s Law?
- Plurality Systems (FPTP) favours 2 party systems because the 3rd party doesn’t matter.
- PR systems favour multiparty systems
What are the elements of Plurality and Majoritarian Systems? (Typically FPTP)
- Lower house elections in e.g. UK, Canada, USA, India,France
- Single member constituencies
- Candidate needs plurality/ majority of votes
Stimulates:
- Disproportional allocation of seats
- Two-party systems (Duverger)
- Single-party majority
Why are there Disproportional allocation of seats in Plurality &Majoritarian systems?
Because the second party doesn’t matter. Since split into constituencies. He who wins the constituency wins. That’s it.
EXAMPLES:
In 2015: Conservatives had 331 seats with voting share 36.9%. In 2017: 318 seats with voting share 42.4%.
Meaning that overall more voted Conservative. But in individual constituencies more voted otherwise.
What are the Pro’s of Plurality and Majoritarian systems?
- Link representatives and voters
- Keeps Extremism at bay (UKIP for instance)
- Effective and stable government
- Accountability
What are the Con’s of Plurality and Majoritarian Systems?
- Limited choice (Only two main parties really)
- Distorts preferences (Assumes that everyone in that constituency wants that one candidate)
- Lack of legitimacy
- Minority under representation (Tyranny of the Majority)
How does a list system work? (Proportional Rep.)
Closed System:
Party gets seats roughly in proportion to its vote, and seats are filled by the party depending on an order they choose.
Open System:
Vote for the person in a list of candidates. Person with most votes win a seat. Continues like this until no more seats available.
-Multiple Candidates represented per district
Where can you find the list system being used?
Lower house elections in e.g. most of continental Europe and Latin America; Turkey; Russia; Indonesia
What is the proportionality dependant on and what does it stimulate (LIST SYSTEM)
- Specific electoral formula
- Threshold
- Winner bonuses
- District magnitude
Stimulates:
-Multi-party system and coalition Govts.
What is the STV and how does it work?
1) Rank Candidates in preference 2)To get elected, candidate fills a quota 3) Weakest candidate gets removed and their votes go to the 2nd choice. This continues until all seats filled
What are the Pro’s and Con’s of PR systems?
Pro’s:
- Accurate Representation preferences
- No single party dictatorship
- Govt. with broad basis of support
Con’s:
- Weak link voters and representation
- Fragmentation
- Govt. formation behind closed doors
- Accountability
- Donkey Voting
What are mixed member systems?
Have two votes:
- Constituency Candidate
(FPTP)
-Party List System
-Party list may compensate for disproportionality constituency vote
Why do voters vote in the way they do?
- Party Identification
- Social Background
- Rational Self-Interest
- Leadership
- Dissatisfaction
How does Party Identification relate to voting behaviour?
- Commitment to particular
party - Shaping opinions
But, declining party ID in West (Partisan Dealignment))
- Exception with the US.h
What is Partisan Dealignment?
Loosening of bonds between voters and parties
Disengagement or cognitive mobilisation (Is the electorate getting smarter)
Indicators.:
- Party membership
- Turnout
- Strength of party affiliation
- Electoral volatility
- Rise of new parties
How does Social background coincide with voting behaviour
Notable Determinants: - Age - Pay - Social Class (In decline) - Religion (In decline) (Traditionally,Anglicans vote Conservative, Catholics anyone but Cons, Non-Reformists Labour)
Why is Social Background less important as a factor of Voting Behaviour?
- Secularisation
- Catch- all parties
Overall, still currently matters.
How does Rational Self-Interest coincide with voting behaviour
- Voters are rational and vote which party best serve their needs.
- Downs (1957): ‘political market as an economic market’ (Looking at econ gain)
-Median voter theorem
Voters will eventually come to vote in the middle
Leads to Issue Voting
How does Leadership coincide with voting behaviour
-Characteristics and Personality Traits of the leader.
- Style over Substance
i..e: Kennedy-Nixon Debate
(Kennedy viewed to win if seen debate on TV, Nixon to win if heard debate on radio) - Affections for leader related to ideology
- Key Traits: Competence and Intergrity
How does Dissatisfaction coincide with voting behaviour
- ‘Protest Votes’
- Rise of populist parties
- Uninformed Candidates
( Trump, voted in because pissed with established order)
