electoral reform Flashcards
advantages of fptp
-usually produces clear single winner that can form a majority gov with clear mandate to govern=Conservative party in 2019 with 80 seat majority under mandate to get brexit done
one single rep for constituency and so creates a close constituency-mp link=2019 Jess Philips stood outside school at her constituency to defend teachers who taught primary school children about LGBTQ+ relationship
helps prevent extremists from coming through and gaining power=British National party received over half mil votes but no seats
disadvantages of fptp
-not always guarantee a clear winner and by extension a clear mandate=2010 and 2017 FPTP failed to give an absolute majority majorities to any parties =hung parliament=conservative-lib dem coalition and govern as a minority gov between 2017 and 2019
overall outcome not proportional or fair some parties win more seats than overall support warrents while others win fewer than deserved =lib dem 12% vote in 2019 but under 2% seats
it prevents new parties breaking into the system and so produces political inertia=UKIP won broad support across country in 2015 GE with almost 4 mill votes but only got one seat
Electoral desert lands due to heartlands were supported for a party is suspected for example Liverpool and labour
should there be electoral reform in the UK
for
FPTP =desicive (just use agrument for why FPTP is good)
sv does not always not solve all problems of FPTP =with one acception ken Livingstone 2000 only Labour and Conservative candidates have ever gone through to second round=tactical voting still issue
AMS
SNP is running minority gov in Scotland
Labour is running a minority gov in Wales-its largest party but still cant get 50% of votes so needs support from other parties
STV
2017 and 2020 NIneither Sinn Fien nor DUP was able to form coalition or work toghether UK gov had to propose a budget on province
broken link between MP and constituents
YES
AMS =smaller parties a chance to influence decision making-LIB DEMS frequently participated in govs in scotland and wales -relativly stable so far all lasted full term
STV-grown up politics + sharing power
model for country divided by BREXIT and where regions trying to have identity
sv
no wasted votes
many greens chose sadiq khan as second choice knew second choice vote mattered
arguments for refs
ref can help heal and unite a divided society as occurred with the decisive result of the 1998 good Friday agreement that united the Catholics and protestants
ref are useful when the expressed (as opposed to implied) consent of the people is important so that the decision will be respected. This was very true of the votes on devolution in 1997
ref can give a decisive result and are the purest form of democracy uncorrupted by the filter of representative democracy rep pure will of the people as shown in the EU vote they are a direct expression if popular consent (33 mill voted and although by a small majority they still voted leave
)
ref are bad
refs are designed to heal divisions but can sometimes cause them. the EU referendum exposed deepened divides between nations (Scotland voted to remain while England voted to leave) and between age groups (only 27% of 18-24 yr olds voted to leave the EU compared to 60% of over 65) there was also an increase in racial tension, with police forces reporting rises in race related hate crimes following the referendum
can represent the tyranny of the majority. this means that the majority wins the vote can use their victory to force the minority to accept a change that is agaisnt their interests. The Scots NI and Londoners who voted strongly to stay in 2016 all claim they were tyrannised by English majority
the issue may be too complex for voters to understand the electoral system which was the subject of the 2011 ref was difficult for voters to understand with only a 42% turnout
what are the advantages of ams
