ECL Topic 3 - Electoral Systems Flashcards
(24 cards)
Functions of an electoral system
- ensure a fair representation of geographical areas
- ensure a fair representation of different opinions
- elect a team of leaders who can form a government
- remove current team of leaders
Different electoral systems
Majoritarian - 50%+1 to win (either percentage of votes for a seat, or number of seats needed to form a government) - likely to produce 2 party system
Plurality - having more votes than anyone else, no outright majority required to win a seat - likely to produce 2 party system
Proportional - allocates seats roughy in line with the percentage of votes gained by a party - likely to produce multi-party system
Fixed-term Parliaments Act and elections
Passed in 2011 stating UK elections should occur every 5 years - allowed a snap election to be called if voted for by 2/3 of MPs
Effectively overturned by Conservatives Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Bill in 2022
FPTP - how it works
- only need more seats than the person in second - ‘winner takes all’
eg 2019, 12 seats won with less than 1% of margin - seats don’t represent votes eg 2024, Labour 63.2% of seats, 33.7% of vote
- safe seats vs marginal seats - split voter loyalty
FPTP - key features
- stable government - direct link between voters and Parliament
- wasted votes - reduces incentive to vote
- focus on marginal seats - “target seats”
- used in general elections and mayoral elections
FPTP - advantages and disadvantages
Advantages
- simple/comprehensive
- clear outcome
- strong, stable government
- responsible government
- effective representation
- keeps out extremist parties
Disadvantages
- disproportionate outcomes
- electoral ‘deserts’ for some parties
- plurality rather than majority support - no need for majority
- votes of unequal value
- limited choice
- divisive politics - long periods of one party rule eg Conservatives 1979-1997
Supplementary vote - how it works
- voters cast first and second preference
- if no candidate receives 50% of vote, all candidates except the top 2 drop out, and then ballots with first preferences other than the top 2 have their second preferences counted
Supplementary vote - key features
- majority
- likely to result in two party system and strong single-party government
- rejected ballots
- more choice
- candidates must persuade voters outside of party loyalty
- previously used to elect the London mayor and Police and Crime Commissioner
Supplementary vote - advantages and disadvantages
Advantages
- winning candidate must achieve broad support - legitimate, strong and stable
- supporters of smaller parties can use their first preference to express their allegiance
- people who use both their first and second preference to support minor parties have limited influence, reducing extremism
Disadvantages
- winning candidate may be elected without winning a majority if second preference votes aren’t used effectively
- winning candidate doesn’t need a majority of first preference votes therefore not proportional
- system wouldn’t deliver proportional outcome if used for general elections
- encourages tactical voting
Single transferable vote - how it works
- voters rank candidates in order of preference, best to worst - ordinal voting
- second preferences transferred to candidates if either the number of first preference votes for their candidate passes a certain threshold, resulting in candidate election, or if their preferred candidate receives the lowest number of first preference votes, resulting in candidate elimination
- candidates must achieve Droop quota for election - any votes achieved over this are redistributed until all seats are filled
Single transferable vote - key features
- likely to result in a multi-party system and produce a coalition - highly proportional therefore outright majority unlikely
- parties must work together after an election to work out a system of government
- high number of rejected votes
- alphabetical/donkey voting, subconscious pattern
- used in NI assembly elections (born of 1998 Good Friday Agreement), Scotland local elections, and Ireland General elections
Single transferable vote - advantages and disadvantages
Advantages
- delivers proportional outcomes, with votes of equal value
- government likely to consist of party/parties that win over 50% of vote
- voters choose between a range of candidates - greater choice
- more representative of ideologies/beliefs
Disadvantages
- less accurate in translating votes into seats
- large multi-member constituencies weaken link between MP and constituents
- likely to produce coalition - may be unstable due to disproportional influence to smaller parties
- complex/hard to understand - may discourage participation
Additional member system - how it works
- each voter has two ballot papers - first list is of candidates to be elected via FPTP (constituency vote), and the second of a party list, whereby parties gain additional candidates on a PR basis (regional vote)
Additional member system - key features
- likely to result in multi-party system, can often lead to a coalition government, as it can be difficult for one party to gain an outright majority
- split-ticket voting - cast two votes for different parties
- used to elect Scottish Parliament, Senedd, and London Assembly
Additional member system - advantages and disadvantages
Advantages
- combines best of FPTP and PR eg balancing constituency representation with fairness of outcome
- results proportional
- votes unlikely to be wasted
- voters have a greater choice
- some parties use system to improve female/BAME representation
- system easily understood
- gov has broad popularity
Disadvantages
- two categories of representative - one with constituency links, one without - creates tensions
- parties have significant control over closed lists - voters can’t choose between candidates from the same party
- smaller parties often underrepresented
- proportional outcomes less likely when number of additional members is low eg Senedd
- confusing for voters
Impact of electoral systems on government
- proportional systems have led to more coalitions eg Scotland and Wales have also had majority governments
- AMS has led to more workable systems in Scotland and Wales, as well as more devolved powers
- In Scotland, AMS has led to more calls for independence due to greater power/success of SNP
Impact of electoral systems on parties
- in devolved regions where hybrid/PR systems have been used, smaller parties have been better represented eg Sinn Fein, Plaid Cymru, SNP
- Conservatives/Labour have performed worse eg in Scotland
- could be argued smaller parties have had too much representations
- can have multi-party systems existing
Impact of electoral systems on voters
- different electoral systems can eliminate wasted votes, tactical voting, safe seats etc however turnout can still be low
- greater voter choice part from under SV, where it is still a two-horse race
Criteria for best electoral system
- fairness of outcome - proportional, do people get what they voted for
- choice of candidates - good selection
- MP-constituent link - representation of local issues
- Strength of government
- Accountability of government - challenged/deliver on manifesto promises
Referendums - criteria by Electoral Commission
- plain language
- simple to understand
- neutral language
- binary answer
Cunningham Amendment
- 1979, referendum held to give more power to Scotland
- MP Cunningham changed the rules to mean that, in order for a change to be enacted, 40% of the electorate needed to have voted yes for it to count
- never applied
Key examples since 1997
- Scottish Devolution 1997 for tax-varying powers - turnout 60.1%, 63.5% yes
- NI 1998, Good Friday Agreement - turnout 81%, 61.7% yes
- AV referendum 2011 - turnout 42%, 67.9% no
- Scottish Independence 2014 - turnout 84.5%, 55.3% no
- Brexit 2016 - turnout 72.2%, 51.9% yes
Advantages of referendums
- genuine form of democracy
- clear mandate - direct say on a single issue, useful to resolve divisive issues eg Good Friday Agreement
- can resolve inner party issues which can threaten to bring down a government eg EEC membership 1975, Brexit
- can entrench certain reforms making it difficult for future governments to undo them
- encourage political participation in between elections - greater voter education due to widespread media coverage eg 2014 Scottish Independence, 75% 16/17 year olds voted
- conducted fairly as a result of the creation of the Electoral Commission - designates lead campaign groups for both sides of the argument, meaning there’s good voter education, fairness/lack of bias
- votes of equal value
Disadvantages of referendums
- turnout often extremely low - can actively lower turnout due to voter fatigue eg Greater London Authority 1998, turnout 34%
- even a clear outcome can fail to settle a controversial issue eg Scottish Independence, 45% voted for, therefore won’t stop campaigning
- many political issues more complicated than a yes/no issue
- government can influence timing and question to their advantage eg Labour 2005 avoided a promised referendum on EU constitution due to negative outcomes overseas - became Lisbon Treaty
- referendums can become opinion polls on governmental performance eg AV vote to punish LibDems
- Better to leave political issues to elected representatives - vote in national interest eg taxes vs public services
- can lead to tyranny of the majority - elected representatives more likely to consider the minorities they represent
- referendums can be very expensive eg AV = £75 million
