chapter 3- Electoral systems Flashcards
(23 cards)
main features of FPTP
- the winner of the election is the candidate who wins more votes than any other candidate (plurality)
- don’t have to win 50% to win just need more votes than other candidates
Outcomes of FPTP
- safe seats
- only a few marginal seats
- single party government with a strong majority (except 2010,2017)
- small parties are at a disadvantage
- two-party system
what is an additional members system?
- hybrid between FPTP and proportional representation
How does AMS work?
- 2/3 of the seats are elected using FPTP
- 1/3 of seats elected on basis of closed regional list voting. the country is divided into regions and each party offers
- voters have 2 votes (1 constituency 1. regional).
what is variable top-up (AMS)
a device used in AMS whereby the parties that are most discriminated against in the constituency system are. awarded additional seats in the list system to compensate. the method helps to make the system more proportional
AMS example of the proportional result
- SNP in Glasgow won 9 constituency seats but due to the d’hont formula didn’t gain any regional seats which shows the proportionality
doest allow for tyranny of one party
AMS split-ticket voting example
you could for the SNP in the constituency vote and then the greens in the regional(they only stand in regional) to support independence as they both want it
AMS government with board popularity example
SNP has 49% from constituency and regional votes put together which shows they have almost the majority of support more representative
AMS more confusing example
d’hont is confusing as people who don’t understand as much how it works could be confused a to why SNP won’t constituency vote but only got 2 regional seats
AMS first-round disadvantages example
The first round still has disadvantages of FPTP
SNP have won 47.7% vote which got them 85% of constituency eats this is a bigger winners bonus than is seen in Westminster
AMS party control example
in the regional vote party controls order of the list of candidates, they aren’t elected sp could be argued it gives excessive influence to the party leadership and less accountability or mandate to make decisions
FPTP safe seats example
in 2019 liverpool Walton was won by labour with the majority of 75%
FPTP prevents extremist parties example
in 2010 BNP gained nearly 500k votes but didn’t come close to winning a seat
FPTP wasted votes example
in 2019 71% of votes were either cast for a non-elected candidate or were surplus
FPTP tactical voting example
2019 a YouGov poll suggested 32% were planning on voting tactically
FPTP disproptional votes exmple
in 2019 on average it took just over 38,000 votes to elect a conservative MP and green receive over 850k for just 1
FPTP tyranny of the minority examples
2005 labour got 35% vote and 55% seats
how is northern Ireland divided up
18 multi ember regions each elects 5 representatives to send to northern Irish assembly
how are STV votes cast
numbering candidates by preference
how does the droop quota make the outcome of STV more proportional?
after 1st preference votes are counted, andy candidates who meet the quota are elected. surplus votes are proportionally distributed to the other candidates on second preference.
examples of instability of STV due to coalitions
January 2017 assembly was suspended after policy disagreements led to a breakdown in power-sharing
2017 northern Irish election tried to solve the problem but failed
the devolved government in Northern Ireland was not restored until January 2020
advantages of STV
- proportional
- no winners bones
- no water votes
- no tactical voting
- smaller parties can be influential
- no safe seats means campaigning everywhere
problems with STV
- coalitions can create an ineffective government
- complex could lower turnout due to voter apathy
- weak constituency link with blurred accountability due to 5 representatives
