Election And Referendum

Question 1

makes a good system according to 1997 Labour voting system commission led by Roy Jenkins

Answer 1

• broad proportionality
• stable gov
• extend voter choice
• ## MP-constituent link

Question 2

good voting system according to Andrew Hayward

Answer 2

• A multiparty system
• Votes of equal worth

Question 3

FPTP pros

Answer 3

• normally form stable gov
• constituency rep link
• swift clear transfer of power
• limits influence of extremist parties

Question 4

stable gov - pros fptp

Answer 4

• majority
• decisive decsions -> whip system + HOL money bill restriction -> pass budget
• respnd to political ssituations -> winter fuel Payment removal

Question 5

link - fptp pros

Answer 5

• clear accountable
• record if they want to vote for that MP constituency
• i.e if they have low attendance/or how they voted on a particular issue
• avg. constituency approc 73,000

Question 6

fptp pros - swift transfer of power

Answer 6

Normally the result of a General Election is clear by the very next morning.
- usually 10pm and the Exit Polls are announced.
- there is usually not a series of complex negotiations to form a coalition, as often happens under proportional systems.
- 2nd May 1997 John Major left Downing Street at 11.25 and Tony Blair arrived as the new Prime Minister at 13.00
- simple: 2019 only 0.37% invalid

Question 7

limit extreme parties

Answer 7

• 2010 when the British National Party won 2.0% of the national vote.
• best constituency result was to finish in third place in Barking.
• European Elections in 2009, which use the proportional system, the BNP won two seats.

Question 8

fptp cons

Answer 8

• elective dictatorship
• penalise smaller parties
• ‘wasted votes’
• gov w.out clear mandate
• encourages tactical votes

Question 9

elective dictatorship

Answer 9

• fusion of powers
• executive ltd scrutiny
• Blair in 1997 (179), 2001 (166) and Boris Johnson with 80 in 2019, Starmer 2024 (174)

Question 10

penalise smaller parties

Answer 10

• green and reform 21% vote and 2 % ss

Question 11

• wasted votes

Answer 11

74% of all votes were non-decisive – the second-highest rate on record, ‘surplus’ + ‘unrepresentative’

Question 12

gov with out clear mandate

Answer 12

2024 GE labour elect on 33% of vote

Question 13

tactical voting

Answer 13

one Ipsos poll suggested one-in-five voters intended to vote tactically for a party that was not their first preference. -> GE

Question 14

stv pros

Answer 14

• all votes matter - counted some way -> preference -> no tactical voting -> target apathy in safe seats
• proportionate results -> lefitimacy -> i.e NIA 2022 winning party vs - 29% and ss 30%
• no safe seats
• ## choice and range

Question 15

stv cons

Answer 15

• weaker gov - Northern Ireland where the Executive has collapsed several times, for example between 2002 and 2007 and between 2017 and 2020.
• size - difficult to represent
  -more complex - donkey voting
• less engagement - mps normally contact at election unlike fptp where constituency focus point
• slower count

Question 16

sv pros

Answer 16

• clear mandate
• hard for extremist parties
• ## generally stable

Question 17

sv cons

Answer 17

• significant wasted votes
• 2 party system
• tactical voting
• not all votes are equal
• Election Act 2023 means no longer used

Question 18

ams pros

Answer 18

• broadly proportional = fairer -> whilst majorities can be formed without domination SNP’s success in Scotland which included a majority of 9 seats after the 2011 Scottish Parliamentary Election.- choice of 2 votes - more likely to feel represented
• help smaller parties -> less need for conc. support in Scotland the Greens are currently in a coalition with the SNP having won 8 regional list seats. In addition, in Wales, Plaid Cymru formed a Coalition with Labour between 2007 and 2011 after winning 15 seats.

Question 19

ams cons

Answer 19

• 2 classes of representatives -> votes no say on who and from party list
• more complex -> harder to participate -> In 2019, there were nearly 1.1 million regional votes for the SNP which returned only 2 regional seats.- result in election of extremists

Question 20

what is stv

Answer 20

• Nia elections
• local gov scotland and wales
• each party any # of candidates
• rank prefeerence
• lowest votes redistribute
• excess ewdistributed

Question 21

what is sv

Question 22

what is ams

Question 23

Referendums: solve problems Disengagement

Answer 23

Referendums increase participation
ScotINDy Ref
+ tackle democratic deficit
Ao1: Scottish Independence referendum turnout was 85% - also enfranchised 16-17 yr olds of which 75% turned out -AV referendum 2011 saw turnout of 42%
Salient issues not nature of the vote itself

Question 24

solve problems: Lack of info

Answer 24

• opportunity for political education between elections
  -Referendums are an opportunity to educate people on political issues: Good Friday Agreement itself was widely circulated before the 1998 referendum
  Media coverage and campaigning mean that citizens are engaged

Question 25

cause problems: misinformed/illinformed choices

Answer 25

- Electoral Reform Society found that in the EU referendum - too short - Only 33% of voters felt informed on EU issues - too complex for yes/no vote -> makes it likely ill informed - wording can sway - Furthermore, media coverage and campaigns are likely to be biased or appeal to emotions rather than information

Question 26

brexit ref: misleading

Answer 26

2016 both Leave and Remain campaigns were accused of misleading the public by the Treasury Select Committee, with the Leave campaign famously suggesting to voters than EU funds would be redirected to the NHS,

Question 27

solve: political disputes

Answer 27

Referendums can solve disputes Direct expression of the will of the people and therefore likely to be seen as legitimate and fair The Good Friday Agreement offered a route to peace in Northern Ireland and was endorsed by 71% BUt... , it is not always the case that referendums settle issues peacefully and legitimately - ‘type’ of Brexit not on ballot The issue of Scottish independence is ongoing despite a referendum in recent memory

Question 28

cause problems

Answer 28

= salient issues -> cause engagement AV -not fully informed -. legitimacy (EU ) Ref - Political divisions + not fully solve - Complicates rep. democracy