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Uk Government Content > Electoral Systems > Flashcards

Electoral Systems Flashcards

1
Q

What are the purpose of elections?

A

• Gives legitimacy to the new leader
• Gives them a mandate to carry out their manifesto
Can hold the government to account for their time in office

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2
Q

What is a by-election?

A

If a seat becomes vacant due to the death or resignation of an MP an election in that constituency is held

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3
Q

What types of elections are there in the UK?

A

• General elections
• By-elections
• Local elections
• Devolved assembly elections
• European Parliamentary elections (previously)

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4
Q

What is a majoritarian system?

A

In an election the winner must get an absolute majority (>50%)

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5
Q

What is a plurality system?

A

The winner of an election is the person who gets more votes than any other candidate

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6
Q

Is there a majoritarian or plurality system in the UK?

A

Plurality - MPs do not need to get over 50% of the vote to be elected

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7
Q

Where is First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) used in the UK?

A

General elections

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8
Q

Features of First-Past-The-Post (FPTP)

A

• Plurality system
• Single-member constituencies
• Disproportional outcome

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9
Q

Where is Supplementary Vote (SV) used in the UK?

A

London Mayoral elections

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10
Q

Features of Supplementary Vote (SV)

A

• Majoritarian system
• Voters give 1st and 2nd preference
• Winning candidate has at least 50% of the vote (including 2nd choice votes if necessary)

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11
Q

In what elections has List PR been used?

A

European parliament elections

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12
Q

Features of List PR

A

• Proportional system
• Multi-member constituencies
• Vote for a party, not a candidate

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13
Q

Where is Single Transferable Vote (STV) used in the UK?

A

Northern Ireland elections

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14
Q

Features of Single Transferable Vote (STV)

A

• Proportional system
• Rank candidates
• Multi-member constituencies
• Proportional outcome

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15
Q

Where is Additional Member System (AMS)
used in the UK?

A

Scottish Parliament

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16
Q

Additional Member System (AMS) is a mix of which two other electoral systems?

A

EPTP and List PR

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17
Q

Example of FPTP producing a very disproportionate outcome

A

In 2015, in Belfast South, the SDP candidate was elected with only 24.5% of the vote

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18
Q

What is the average constituency size in the
UK?

A

68,000

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19
Q

What is a safe seat?

A

A constituency where the incumbent party has a large majority

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20
Q

What was the safest seat in the 2015 general election?

A

Walton in Liverpool
Labour candidate won 81% of the vote

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21
Q

What is a marginal seat?

A

One where the two main parties often compete at elections and it is often unclear whether a party will be re-elected

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22
Q

Why is turnout often higher in marginal seats?

A

The votes are more likely to make a difference to the result

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23
Q

What was the most marginal seat in the 2015 general election?

A

Gower, where the Conservatives beat Labour by 27 votes

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24
Q

How often are the size of constituencies
reviewed?

A

Every 8-12 years

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25
Q

How does UKIP’s result in 2015 show the
weaknesses of FPTP?

A

They received 12.4% of the vote, but only picked up 1 seat

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26
Q

What percentage of the vote did the two main parties receive in 2010?

A

65%

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27
Q

What is a winner’s bonus?

A

The excess proportion of seats a party wins compared to the proportion of votes they receive

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28
Q

Vote share of the Conservatives in 2015 vs the proportion of seats they won

A

Vote share - 37%
Proportion of seats - 51%

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29
Q

Vote share of the Conservatives in 2015 vs the proportion of seats they won

A

Vote share - 37%
Proportion of seats - 51%

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30
Q

What is tactical voting?

A

Voting for a party who you may not 100% support to ensure another party is not elected
E.g. voting Labour to ensure that the Conservatives are not elected, even though you may support the Greens

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31
Q

What is a minority government?

A

When the governing party does not have a majority of seats in parliament, meaning they have to form deals with other parties to pass legislation

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32
Q

What is a coalition government?

A

A government consisting of two or more parties which share policies and ministerial posts

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33
Q

Advantages of FPTP

A

• Simplicity
• Clear outcome
• Strong majority government
• One representative per constituency
• Keeps out extremist parties

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34
Q

How is FPTP simple for voters?

A

Voters only need to cast one vote for their preferred party

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35
Q

Disadvantages of FPTP

A

• Disproportionate outcome
• Plurality system
• Limited choice
• Safe seats make votes have unequal value

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36
Q

How many times has the winner of the popular vote lost the general election?

A

Twice, 1951 and 1974

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37
Q

Example of List PR giving a proportional outcome in the 2019
European election

A

The Brexit Party won 39% of the vote and got
40% of the seats

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38
Q

Why should FPTP be replaced?

A

• Other systems such as STV and List PR better represent vote
share
• The party with most votes does not always get most seats
• Winner’s bonus
• MPs are rarely elected with a majority of their constituency vote

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39
Q

What factors influence why someone votes for a party?

A

• Personality of candidate
• Attractiveness of policies
• Electoral system in place
• Individual characteristics (age, gender)
• Success of campaign

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40
Q

What is the primacy model?

A

Suggests people vote based on long-term factors like age, class and gender

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41
Q

What is the recency model?

A

Suggests people vote based on short-term factors such as current issues and leadership

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42
Q

What is class dealignment?

A

Where people no longer vote based on their social class

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43
Q

What is a swing voter?

A

A voter who is not loyal to one party and is therefore more open to political campaigning

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44
Q

What is partisan dealignment?

A

Where people feel as though no single party truly represents them

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45
Q

What have been the four main changes in voting behaviour?

A

• Class dealignment
• Partisan dealignment
• More swing voters
• Rise of identity politics

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46
Q

What was the age at which someone was more likely to vote
Conservative in the 2019 election?

A

39

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47
Q

What % of 18-24 year olds voted Labour and
Conservative?

A

Labour - 56%
Conservatives - 21%

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48
Q

What % of 70+ year olds voted Labour and
Conservative?

A

Labour - 14%
Conservatives - 67%

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49
Q

Context of the 1983 election

A

• Rising unemployment (over 3m)
• Military victory over Argentina in the 1982 Falklands War

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50
Q

What was the swing from Labour to
Conservatives in 1983

A

3.8%

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51
Q

What was the impact of the SDP on the 1983 election

A

• Took many of Labour’s votes
• This resulted in Labour coming third - or worse - in 292 out of 650 constituencies

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52
Q

Vote share of the 3 main parties in the 1983 election

A

CON -42.4%
LAB - 27.6%
SDP - 25.4%

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53
Q

How did newspapers influence the 1983 election?

A

The Sun instructed voters to ‘Vote for Maggie’. They were the paper with the highest circulation
• Only 22% of newspapers in circulation supported Labour

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54
Q

Policies of Labour in the 1983 election

A

• Seen as too left wing for the general public
• Abolition of Hol
• Unilateral nuclear disarmerment
• Withdrawal from European Community

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55
Q

Policies of Conservatives in 1983 election

A

• Reduction in trade union power
• Expansion of privatisation

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56
Q

How did Thatcher campaign effectively in the 1983 election?

A

• Thatcher travelled on her ‘Superbus’ to key constituencies
• Focus on TV appearances

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57
Q

Which war helped boost Thatcher’s popularity?

A

Falklands War

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58
Q

Which new party broke away from Labour in
1983?

A

SDP-Liberal Alliance

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59
Q

What was the name of Thatcher’s documentary about her premiership, published 4 months before the 1983 election?

A

The Woman at Number Ten

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60
Q

How did the Conservative win in 1983 affect policy-making?

A

• Further privatisation
• Reduction in trade union power
• Restructured UK economy

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61
Q

What proportion of the votes did the SDP-
Liberal Alliance win in 1983?

A

25% - just two points below Labour
Only won 23 seats (3.5%)

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62
Q

Key conclusions from 1983 election

A

• FPTP gave very disproportionate result
• Thatcher as a leader managed to successfully promote her radical policies while Foot failed
• The left-wing vote split between two parties

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63
Q

Context of 1997 election

A

• Major was running a minority government
• Conservatives deeply divided over Europe
• Conservatives overseen 1992 recession
• Labour had made gains in the ‘87 and ‘92 elections

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64
Q

How did Labour reinvent themselves for the 1997 election?

A

• Rewrote Clause IV, changing the commitment to nationalisation
• Emphasis on ‘third way’, accepting capitalism

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65
Q

Vote share for three main parties in 1997

A

Labour: 43.2%
Conservatives: 30.7%
Lib Dems: 16.8%

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66
Q

Number of seats for three main parties in
1997

A

Labour: 418
Conservatives: 165
Lib Dems: 46

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67
Q

Which areas did the Conservatives do particularly badly in 1997?

A

London - vote share fell by 14%
South East - vote share fell by 13%

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68
Q

How does the 1997 election show class dealignment?

A

Labour picked up the same percentage of votes in the C1 class as the Conservatives (lower-middle-class)

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69
Q

Which newspaper switched to supporting
Labour in 1997?

A

The Sun

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70
Q

What percentage of newspapers were pro-
Blair in 1997?

A

62%

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71
Q

Policies of Labour in 1997

A

• Moderate expansion of Welfare State with emphasis on personal responsibility
• Tough on crime
• Balance government spending

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72
Q

Policies of Conservatives in 1997

A

• Not too dissimilar from Labour
• Tax reduction
• Tough on crime
• Crackdown on benefit fraud

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73
Q

Which key Labour figure helped to secure the working class vote in 1997?

A

While Blair appealed to the middle classes, John Prescott (deputy leader) hailed from a working class background

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74
Q

What was the Conservatives’ election strategy in 1997?

A

Focused on attacking Blair as Major was not seen as a strong enough leader to directly promote
|Poster of Tony Blair with devil eyes, captioned “New Labour New Danger”

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75
Q

How did the 1997 Labour victory affect policy making?

A

• Constitutional reform
• Socialist changes such as introducing minimum wage

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76
Q

Key conclusions of the 1997 election

A

• Labour reinvented themselves as a modern party
• Blair seen as a more charismatic leader than Major
• Shows importance of the middle-class vote in determining election outcome

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77
Q

What is the purpose of an election?

A

To
• select representatives to best reflect the interests of the constituency and the individual
• deliver verdict on performance of past government
• decide which government programme the electorate support based on their manifestos
• decide which leader will become PM
• grant authority to whichever party wins election, giving them the political mandate to govern

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78
Q

What is a manifesto?

A

A statement of commitments made by a party that they would uphold/enact should they be elected to government

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79
Q

Define the phrases ‘electoral mandate’

A

When authority is granted to a party to
• put into place policies from their manifesto (doctrine of mandate and manifesto)
• carry out actions that promote security and welfare in response to unexpected events (doctors mandate)

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80
Q

2017 General election
Party - Conservatives
Give the
• change in the number of MPs
• change in % of vote
• Potential reasons for these changes

A

Tory 2017 General election results
• 317 seats (48.8% of HoC), -13
• Votes +5.5% to 42.3%
• Reasons for
- Vote gain: Theresa may seen as more responsible to be in charger (doctors madate)
- Seat lost: Rise in labour votes, marginal seats lost

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81
Q

2017 General election
Party - Labour
Give the
• change in the number of MPs
• change in % of vote
• Potential reasons for these changes

A

Labour 2017 General election results
• 262 seats (40.3% of HoC), +30 seats
• Votes +9.4% to 42.3%
• Reasons for better result than 2015: increased youth vote, comment on past 7 years of government, distrust of Theresa May, ideology shift, UKIP no longer relevant, NP call for another Scottish Referendum

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82
Q

2017 General election
Party - Scottish National Party
Give the
• change in the number of MPs
• change in % of vote
• Potential reasons for these changes

A

SNP 2017 General election results
• 35 seats (5.4% of HoC), -21 seats
• Votes -1.7% to 3%
• Reasons for worse result than 2015: talk of 2nd Scottish referendum, started with high % of Scotland (95%), leave voters voted Tory, Labour shifted more left again

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83
Q

2017 General election
Party - Liberal Democrats
Give the
• change in the number of MPs
• change in % of vote
• Potential reasons for these changes

A

Lib Dem 2017 General election results
• 12 seats (1.8% of HoC), +4 seats
• Votes - 0.5% to 7.4%
• Reasons for result: verdict on coalition, Tim Farron on gay rights, tactical votes in marginal seats to get Labour in power

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84
Q

2017 General election
Party - UK Independence Party
Give the
• change in the number of MPs
• change in % of vote
• Potential reasons for these changes

A

UKIP 2017 General election results
• O seats (0% of HoC), -1 seat
• Votes - 10.8% to 1.8%
• Reasons for result: no longer relevant after the EU referendum due to it being their only clear policy

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85
Q

2017 General election
Party - Green Party of England and Wales
Give the
• change in the number of MPs
• change in % of vote
• Potential reasons for these changes

A

Green 2017 General election results
• 1 seat (0% of HoC), no seat change
• Votes -2% to 1.6%
• Reasons for result: still seen as single issue, not large enough infrastructure for national competition, strategic voting to get
Labour into power

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86
Q

What are the three types of voting system?

A

• Plurality
•Majority
• Proportional representation

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87
Q

What does a plurality voting system work around?

A

One candidate having more votes than any other but not necessarily 50%

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88
Q

What are the basic rules of First Past the
Post (FPTP)?

A

• Each constituency returns 1 MP
• Each party nominates one candidate to stand in each constituency
• Voters only have one vote

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89
Q

Give advantages of the FPTP system

A

• Speedy and simple - single cross ballot, quick transfer of power compared to nations such as Germany and Belgium (18 months in 2010) that use P.R
• Strong and stable government - promotes a clear majority in power e.g. Thatcher allowed to reduce Trade Unions and Blair to make constitutional reform in 1997 due to large mandates
• Excludes extremist parties - e.g. UKIP, right wing, got 3.9 million votes in 2015 but only 1 seat
• Strong link between MPs and constituency - small sized constituencies creates stronger link e.g. surgeries (Catherine
West’s on Friday) and easier to lobby (writing letters)

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90
Q

Give disadvantages of the FPTP system

A

MPs and government can be elected on less than 50% of the vote - e.g. current government got 42% of the vote yet has control of nation that 58% of people did not vote for —> governments that don’t have popularity vote and thus weakens their political mandate
• Lack of proportionality - despite keeping out extreme parties such as UKIP it ignores the vote of 12.9% of electorate
• Limited voter choice - no variation of spectrum within parties e.g. New Labour v Corbyn Labour, ONCs v Thatcherites
• Votes are of unequal value - small constituencies have votes worth more e.g. 9407 voters in Burkley and 28,591 for Isles of Whight, Electoral Reform Society calculated 74.4% of votes in 2015 were wasted

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91
Q

How does a majority voting system work?

A

They are designed to ensure the winner receives the majority of the votes

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92
Q

Give an example of a majority system being used in Europe?

A

The French Presidential vote
• Uses two lots of FPTP, if in the first round someone gains more than 50% they win, if not the top two go through to a second vote where one is guaranteed to get over 50%

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93
Q

Why do elections with multiple candidates not usually use majority systems?

A

They rarely produce absolute majorities of
50%

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94
Q

Name the majority system used in the UK

A

Supplementary vote

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95
Q

How does the supplementary vote work?

A

• 1 round of voting
• Marking a 1st and 2nd preference
• 2 rounds of counting - of no candidate is elected on 50% the 2nd preference of all the voters who didn’t vote for the front runners are added
• Used for the London Mayoral elections and Police and Crime
Commissioners in England and Wales

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96
Q

What are advantages of the supplementary vote?

A

• Absolute majority guaranteed
• Shows broad support for the winner - have to be liked/wanted from a broad consensus (Sadiq Khan, largest political mandate in UK history)
• Simple and straightforward to use
• Has allowed some independent candidates to win (12/40 PCS in 2012)

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97
Q

What are the disadvantage of of the supplementary vote?

A

• Anyone whose second preference who isn’t one of the two front runners doesn’t have their votes counted at all
• Not proportional as an individual is being elected to office
• A second-placed candidate can win
• Promotes two-party system and disadvantage smaller parties, less representative than FPTP eg London Mayor vote always ends up with Labour v Conservative, Sian Berry of Green Party in 2016 eliminated after first round

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98
Q

What is proportional representation?

A

It is technically not a voting system but an adaptation of systems that best link the proportion of votes to the proportion of seat in an election

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99
Q

What two proportional representational systems are used in the UK?

A

• Single Transferable Vote - used in N.I Parliament and Scottish local council elections
• AMS - used in European Parliament, Greater London Assembly, Welsh Assembly, Scottish Parliament. Combines
FPTP and the d’Hondt PR system of vote allocation

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100
Q

How does STV work?

A

• Vote once
• Candidates ranked by each voter 1 - x (× being the number of candidates running) as they see fit to
• Each constituency elects multiple candidates

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101
Q

Describe the benefits of STV

A

• Proportional outcome - N.I assembly 5 of votes almost perfectly match seat no. in 2017 election
• Votes have equal value
• Government is still likely to be backed by 50% of the electorate
• Wide degree of party choice and variety within party candidates - eg New Labour vs Socialist Labour
• Few votes wasted

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102
Q

Describe the disadvantages of STV

A

• MP-constituency link lost
• Complicated, people accidentally spoil ballots
• Multi-party coalition governments = weak and unstable
• III-informed dinkey voting
• 5th/6th vote choice isn’t really worthwhile

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103
Q

How does AMS work?

A

• Candidates elect two people - one elects a candidate whilst the other votes for a party
• Candidate votes are announced (the FPTP element of the vote) and then based on the % of votes the party gets, members are added to ‘top up’ the house to ensure a proportional element to the vote

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104
Q

The strengths of AMS are…

A

• Best bits of FPTP - rep link to area, likelihood of stable govt = high
• Adds element of PR so votes = seats more directly
• Greater choice of candidate and can split ticket
• Party-list can be seen to encourage greater women and BAME reps - eg

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105
Q

The weaknesses of AMS are…

A

• Two categories of reps with different degrees of accountability
Low level of additional members means PR isn’t strong
• Most voters don’t split tickets -eg Labour and Tories dominated candidate elections and then gained most no of Add. Members in
London Assembly 2016
• Strong governments hard to achieve - eg Scottish Assembly currently running on a 62 minority to SNP with 66 seats in opposition
• Usually, a single party dominates process - eg Labour in the Greater London Assembly, SP in Scotland

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106
Q

What are the functions of elections?

A

Representation
Choosing a government
Holding government to account
Encourage participation
Give people influence over policy

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107
Q

What is the criteria for deciding which is the best electoral system?

A

Which:
Gives a fair result as far as possible
Gives a choice of candidates
Has an effective link between the elected representative and the constituency
Gives a strong govt. that can pass laws but can be held accountable by electorate

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108
Q

What are the sizes of constituencies regulated by?

A

Regulated by an independent Boundary Commission which recommends periodic changes based on movements of population

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109
Q

How many constituencies are there in the UK?

A

650

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110
Q

Advantages of FPTP: Speed and simplicity

A

V. easy to use, result usually known morning after polling day and new govt. rapidly formed

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111
Q

Advantages of FPTP: Strong and stable government

A

Tends to promote two-party system, giving voters clear choice and majority and can be removed at next general election, occasionally produces coalition govts. but normally produces a clear majority

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112
Q

Advantages of FPTP: Exclusion of extremists

A

Although there’s a lack of representation of smaller parties, this is good when these parties are extremists as they are much less likely to gain a foothold

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113
Q

Advantages of FPTP: Strong link between
MPs and they constituencies

A

Most constituencies are small and a single MP is responsible for them and hold surgeries

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114
Q

Disadvantages of FPTP: MPs and governments can be elected on less than 50% of the vote

A

More than 1/2 of MPs typically don’t receive majority vote, just at least 1 more than the second place candidate

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115
Q

Disadvantages of FPTP: Lack of proportionality

A

It exaggerates the results and doesn’t reflect that the no. of ppl voting for the two largest parties are in decline

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116
Q

Disadvantages of FPTP: Winner’s bonus

A

Winning party gets a share of seats in excess to amount of votes it receives if a larger no. of seats are marginal between the two main parties

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117
Q

Disadvantages of FPTP: Limited voter choice

A

Party only puts 1 candidate forward so no representation of different views within a party

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118
Q

Disadvantage of FPTP: Votes are of unequal value

A

In small constituencies a vote counts for more than it would in a large one
74.4% of votes cast in 2015 election were wasted

119
Q

What is an electoral desert?

A

Aregion of the country that contains many safe seats e.g large areas in the south of England

120
Q

What is a marginal seat?

A

One held with a small majority e.g a 10% margin would need a swing of 5% to the rival party to take it
Turnout tends to be higher here

121
Q

How many marginal seats were there in the 2017 general election

A

97/650 constituencies won by a margin of
5% of the vote or less

122
Q

What is an electoral system?

A

A system that converts votes in an election into seats. May also refer to a process of electing a single leader, such as a president or mayor

123
Q

Example of FPTP giving exaggerated number of seats

A

1997 Labour won 43% of votes and 63% of seats
2005 Labour won 35% of votes and 55% of seats
2010 Lib Dems won 23% of vote and 8.8% of seats

124
Q

What’s a majoritarian system?

A

Winning candidate needs to secure an absolute majority (50% + 1)

125
Q

What’s a plurality system?

A

The winner needs one more vote than their rival (FPTP)

126
Q

What is a mixed system?

A

Combines plurality + PR. Some MPs are elected using FPTP whereas the rest are elected using PR

127
Q

How odes Alternative Vote (AV) work?

A

You rank the candidate in order of preference, can select as many or few as you want
If candidate wins more than 50% of the vote they win
If nobody gets over 50%, last place candidate is eliminated and their votes are equally distributed between remaining candidates
This continues until someone has over 50% of the vote

128
Q

Advantages of Alternative Vote

A

Reduces need for tactical voting
Reduces no. of safe seats
More likely to produce candidate with more support

129
Q

Disadvantages of Alternative Vote

A

Can in some circumstances create more disproportional outcomes than FPTP
Prone to spoiling ballot as ppl may just rank in order written on the list

130
Q

How does Additional Member System work?

A

Mixture of FPTP and party lists
2 ballot papers, 1st a list of candidates where voter puts cross next to chosen candidate, like FPTP
2nd a list of parties who want seats in parliament, a vote for a party is a vote to make more of their list of candidates into MPs

131
Q

Advantages of AMS

A

More proportional and better reflects publics view
Maintains link between constituency and MPS because very person in Scotland has 8 MSPs who represent them
Enables minority parties to have a say in Scottish parliament

132
Q

Disadvantages of AMS

A

Can be confusing as 2 votes and each MSP has different roles
Time consuming and expensive, with complexity comes cost and its harder to count
Produces coalition or minority govts. as may not produce clear wInner

133
Q

Why has FPTP survived for Westminster elections?

A

Mainly because the outcome suits the two largest parties
Voters accept it because it’s easy to use

134
Q

Why was AMS adopted for Welsh and Scottish devolved elections and for the Greater London Assembly?

A

Lib Dems and SNP would’ve preferred STV for Scottish Parliament but AMS was seen as a compromise and less radical that STV
Then adopted for Wales and Greater London Assembly for similar reasons

135
Q

Why was STV adopted for Northern Ireland assembly?

A

After 1998 Good Friday agreement as its highly proportional + ensures broad representation so important to avoid single party dominance

136
Q

How are referendums different to elections?

A

Referendum offers simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ choice with one of them being implemented
An election inc. several political programmes whereas referendums on one feature on a single issue
Election grants mandate to a new govt. whereas due to parliamentary sovereignty results of referendum don’t have to be carried out
Simple majority is needed for referendum outcome

137
Q

Examples of local referendums

A

Establishing directly elected mayors
Congestion charges, rejected
Council tax increases
Parish polls

138
Q

Examples of factors affecting national referendums

A

Constitutional change
Coalition agreement
Party management
Political pressure

139
Q

Impact referendums had on UK political life

A

Direct democracy
Constitutional convention
Parliamentary sovereignty and representative democracy

140
Q

Have referendums enhanced representative democracy in the UK? Yes:

A

Have introduced direct democracy
Checked power of govt. making it more responsive to wishers of the people
Enhanced political participation
Educated people on key issues
Legitimised important constitutional changes

141
Q

Have referendums enhanced representative democracy in the UK? No:

A

Undermined representative democracy taking complex decision making into the inexperienced public’s hand
Created tensions between parliament and people
Turnout in referendums is poor with decisions made on minority of voters
Referendum campaigns are often ill-informed

142
Q

What are some negatives of referendums?

A

Lead to simplification of very complex issues, tricking ppl into thinking they’re simple issues
Lack of education on issues can cause ppl to vote for whatever
Referendums are a majoritarian form of voting so minorities lose out
Could be seen as only called when the govt. want to avoid making difficult decisions

143
Q

What is the Scottish Parliament electoral system like?

A

Every 5 years
Using Additional Member System (AMS)

144
Q

What is the Northern Irish Assembly electoral system like?

A

Every 5 years
Using Single Transferable Vote (STV)

145
Q

What is the English Local Election electoral system like?

A

4 year terms
Using FPTP

146
Q

What is the UK Parliament electoral system like?

A

Every 5 years
Using FPTP

147
Q

What is the Welsh Assembly electoral system like?

A

Every 5 years
Using Additional Member System (AMS)

148
Q

What is the London Assembly electoral system like?

A

Every 4 years
Using the Additional Member System (AMS)

149
Q

What is the London Mayor electoral system like?

A

Every 4 years
Using Supplementary Vote (SV)

150
Q

What are the police and crime commissioners electoral systems like?

A

Every 4 years
Using Supplementary Vote (SV)

151
Q

What are elections?

A

An opportunity for citizens to cast a vote for their elected representatives.

152
Q

What are elections?

A

An opportunity for citizens to cast a vote for their elected representatives.

153
Q

What is an electoral system?

A

A process by which the votes cast can be translated into elected officials or seats.

154
Q

What are the three types of election?

A

Proportional
Plurality
Majoritarian

155
Q

What is the party system?

A

The number of parties that have a realistic chance of forming government.

156
Q

What are the reasons for elections (broadly)?

A

Holding the current elected representatives to account
Choosing an elected representative and government
Legitimising political power
Limiting the power of elected representatives
Development of political policy
Selection of a political elite

157
Q

Why is ‘holding the current elected representatives to account’ important in elections?

A

Allows the elected officials from the last 4 / 5 years to be held to account for their actions while they have been in office.

158
Q

Why is ‘choosing an elected representative and government’ important in elections?

A

Politicians are elected to represent their views, either on personal beliefs or on the policies of their party manifesto.

159
Q

Why is ‘legitimising political power’ important in elections?

A

A party now has the mandate to put their manifesto into action, provided they have a majority of elected seats.

160
Q

What is essential to gaining legitimacy?

A

The participation of voters. If the turnout is too low, the election result will not effectively represent the views of the entire population, undermining the legitimacy of the government elected.

161
Q

Why is ‘limiting the power of elected representatives’ important in elections?

A

The limitation of knowing they will have to stand for reelection in some number of years ensures they serve the population rather than their own interests.

162
Q

Why is ‘development of political policy’ important in elections?

A

Policies can be abandoned if the public perception towards them is too poor.
‘dementia tax’ - the Conservative policy that required people to sell their houses to pay for social care in old age.

163
Q

Why is the ‘selection of a political elite’ important in elections?

A

Parties decide who runs in an election thinking they give them the best chance of winning an election.

164
Q

What categories do the three electoral systems in the UK fall under?

A

Maioritarian
Plurality
Proportional

165
Q

What voting system does the majoritarian system fall under?

A

Supplementary Vote

166
Q

What voting system does the plurality system fall under?

A

First-past-the-post

167
Q

What voting system does the proportional system fall under?

A

Additional Member System (AMS)
Single Transferrable Vote (STV)

168
Q

How does the majoritarian system work?

A

A majority of >50% is required to win.
May refer to the number of votes to win a seat, or the number of seats to win a government.
Likely produces a two-party system.

169
Q

How does the plurality system work?

A

A plurality of votes means having more votes than anyone else, but not necessarily an overall majority.
Likely to produce a two-party system.

170
Q

How does the proportional system work?

A

Seats are allocated in a manner that roughly reflects the percentage of votes gained by a party.
Likely to produce a multi-party system.

171
Q

How often should GE’s occur?

A

Once every 5 years.

172
Q

Why do some GE’s occur more often than the given time?

A

If 2/3 of the MP’s vote for a GE.

173
Q

How many constituencies are there in the UK?

A

650.

174
Q

What is the smaller geographic area for election purposes known as?

A

A constituency.

175
Q

How many people should each constituency have as of today?

A

100,000

176
Q

What is the disconnect between the current electoral system and voter behaviour?

A

Most people vote on their party preference rather than the local
MP. You are actually supposed to vote for a local MP rather than the overall party.

177
Q

How many seats do you have to win to form a majority government?

A

326 / 650.

178
Q

What happens if no party has a majority?

A

Two or more parties may choose to work together and form a coalition, or the party may choose to form a minority government.

179
Q

What does FPTP often lead to in regards with party systems?

A

Often leads to a two-party system due to its plural nature.

180
Q

What is the problem with FPTP in some constituencies?

A

A winner takes all nature means that a person can win the seat with far less than 50% of the vote, provided the other parties get less than them.

181
Q

What is an example of the FPTP problem?

A

Alasdair McDonnell achieved just 24.5% of the popular vote, yet still won his seat. He represents less than a quarter of the people in his constituency at Westminster.

182
Q

What is the ‘winner’s bonus’?

A

The outcome that FPTP often leads to the winning party being overrewarded.

183
Q

What does FPTP often do?

A

Return a single party with a strong majority.

184
Q

Why have the elections from 2010, 2015 and 2017 been interesting?

A

In 2010, 2015 and 2017, they have all not had a major one-party dominance.

185
Q

What are the differences with coalition and confidence and supply?

A

Coalition:
A formal agreement between both parties, forming a government.
Joint party policies and goals for the duration of the coalition.
The government is formed from all parties in the coalition.
Confidence and Supply:
A more informal agreement between one another.
Support the government on issues of ‘confidence’ and ‘supply’ in return for government support on issues important for the other party.
Government is formed with members from one party.

186
Q

What does FPTP lead to in terms of seats?

A

Safe and swing seats.

187
Q

What are the traditional advantages of FPP?

A

Simplicity
Strong government
MP-constituency link
Centrist policies

188
Q

What are the traditional disadvantages of
FPTP?

A

Lack of voter choice
Unequal vote value
No majority needed
Disproportionate result

189
Q

Why is FPTP simplicity a benefit of FPTP?

A

It should cause more voters to vote as it is incredibly easy, putting an X in a box.

190
Q

Why is a strong government a benefit of
FPTP?

A

Traditionally, it has always provided the country with a clear winner.
The ‘winner’s bonus’ has always provided a strong majority.

191
Q

Why is the MP-constituency link a benefit of
FPTP?

A

An elected official is more likely to be interested in remedying local issues as they are more likely to be re-elected as a result.

192
Q

Why are the centrist policies a benefit of
FPTP?

A

Reduces the chance of an extremist group entering parliament.

193
Q

Why is the lack of voter choice a disadvantage of FPTP?

A

The ‘winner-takes-all’ nature means that the only real choice for many voters is between Labour and Conservatives.
Websites such as Vote Swap have become more popular as voters could pledge to swap their votes with others in the country depending on how safe their constituency was.

194
Q

Why is an unequal vote value a disadvantage of FPTP?

A

If a person lives in a safe seat, their vote is far less valuable than that of a person in a swing seat.

195
Q

Why is the lack of a majority a disadvantage of FPTP?

A

The election that takes place does not require a candidate to have a majority, merely a plurality, so the candidate’s legitimacy is reduced.

196
Q

Why is a disproportionate result a disadvantage of FPTP?

A

As explained earlier, the disproportionate result leads to the over-representation of the larger parties, and under-representation of the smaller parties.
This reduces voter choice, but also creates artificial majorities that may not reflect the political beliefs of the nation.

197
Q

What is the Conservative belief on FPTP?

A

They believe it should remain as it makes it easier for them to remain in office as it creates artificial majorities for themselves.

198
Q

What have the developments been within the argument of FPTP system reform?

A

Increasing number of Safe Seats
Disproportionate results
Failure to deliver strong single-party government

199
Q

Why has the increasing number of safe seats been an argument for
FPTP system reform?

A

In 2015, 21 seats were won by more than 50%.
In 2017, 35 seats were won by more than 50%.
This demonstrates the increasing inequality of the value of a vote in the UK.

200
Q

Why has the increasing number of disproportionate results been an argument for FPT system reform?

A

With more votes cast for third parties, the disproportionate result of the vote has become more noticeable.
2015, UKIP gained ~ 4 million votes but achieved only 1 seat. SN gained ~1.5 million votes but achieved 56 seats.
Within each of the countries of the UK, a different party won each election.

201
Q

What did Labour implement in terms of devolved powers?

A

They added a Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and had discussions for a devolved party in Northern Ireland.

202
Q

How are devolved powers voted for?

A

Proportionally.

203
Q

Where is the AMS implemented?

A

The Scottish Parliament.
Welsh Assembly.

204
Q

How does the AMS work?

A

Each voter is given two votes.
One for their local representative, one for their regional representative.

205
Q

What are the two parts of the AMS ballot?

A

Constituency Vote
Regional Vote

206
Q

How does the constituency vote work within
AMS?

A

The country is divided into smaller constituencies.
Each constituency elects a single representative on a ‘winner-take-all’ basis.
Whoever is elected is given a seat within the Parliament.

207
Q

How does the constituency vote work within
AMS?

A

The country is divided into smaller constituencies.
Each constituency elects a single representative on a ‘winner-take-all’ basis.
Whoever is elected is given a seat within the Parliament.

208
Q

How does the Regional Vote work within
AMS?

A

The country is divided into larger areas made up of multiple constituencies.
You are given another vote for the regional area, voting for a party rather than a person.
The regional votes are counted, and then applied to the formula: number of regional votes / number of seats a given party has gained + 1.
The formula is then completed for each party, with the party with the largest number having another seat.
This process is repeated until the desired number of seats are allocated.

209
Q

How many MSP’s are there?

A

129.

210
Q

How many MSP’s are decided by constituency vote?

A

73.

211
Q

How many MSP’s are decided by regional vote?

A

56.

212
Q

What is the formula for AMS in Scotland and
Wales known as?

A

d’Hondt Formula.

213
Q

What does the regional vote cause?

A

Parties that do less well within the constituency vote are more likely to gain seats.

214
Q

What does the regional vote cause?

A

Parties that do less well within the constituency vote are more likely to gain seats.

215
Q

What party particularly benefits from the AMS in Scotland?

A

Conservatives.

216
Q
A
217
Q

What are the advantages of the AMS system?

A

Proportional Result
Split-ticket Voting
Government with broad popularity
Greater Representation

218
Q

Why is the proportional result a benefit of the
AMS?

A

The second stage attempts to rectify the problems of the prior FPTP stage.
The more constituency seats a party gains, the more difficult it is to gain a regional seat as the total regional vote is divided by a larger number.
It increases the legitimacy of the government.

219
Q

Why is split-ticket voting a benefit of the AMS?

A

Voters have more choices with two votes to cast, which can be independent of one another.
This encourages more parties to run, particularly within the regional ballot.

220
Q

Why is a government with broad popularity a benefit of AMS?

A

Due to the second stage of AMS, a party must have broad popularity across a whole country, not just in concentrated pockets.
Governments become more legitimate, particularly if they are within a coalition.

221
Q

Why is greater representation a benefit of
AMS?

A

All areas are represented by a constituency and regional representative, so voters are more likely to find someone that represents their idealogy.

222
Q

What are the negatives of AMS?

A

More complicated
Single-party governments become very unlikely
The first round
Different types of representatives
Party Control

223
Q

Why is being more complicated a negative of the AMS?

A

The first stage of voting is very simple, the second is not. Many voters may be put off as it could appear the vote is mathematically manipulated, therefore reducing turnout.

224
Q

Why is an unlikely single-party government a negative of the AMS?

A

The proportional nature of AMS means single-party governments are notoriously difficult to achieve, making coalitions more likely.
This makes governments weaker and more unable to pass policies.

225
Q

Why is the first round a negative of the AMS?

A

The first round is a constituency vote, which is conducted by FPTP.
This carries the same negatives that the FPTP does.

226
Q

Why are different representatives a negative of the AMS?

A

Having two representatives can cause tension and confusion for voters. It also blurs accountability as people may be unclear as to who to blame for problems in their area.

227
Q

Why is party control a negative of the AMS?

A

Within the regional vote, a party decides on the order of its list.
Voters have to decide to support the entire list, or none of it. This may be due to one party candidate being a deal-breaker.

228
Q

What are the overall effects of the AMS?

A

A multiparty system - likely leading to coalition
Safe seats and swing seats from the FPTP side

229
Q

What is the Single Transferable Vote?

A

Voters express their preference, ranking them from 1 to X+1. X> 1.
Ix:X=Z}

230
Q

What is ordinal voting?

A

A vote cast in which the voter ranks candidates in order of preference, ranking as few, or as many as they wish.

231
Q

Where is the STV used in the UK?

A

Northern Irish Assembly.

232
Q

How does the STV work in practice?

A

The country is divided into large multi-member regions.
A voter is given a ballot paper for all the candidates running in their region.
The voter ranks them in order from 1 to X+1. X>1 <x: x=Z^
The total number of votes within each region is then counted.
A candidate must then meet a droop quota to be elected.
Any candidates that achieve the droop quota are automatically elected.
The votes they achieve over the droop quota are then redistributed to any second preferences they had.
If another party achieves above the droop quota, they are then elected.
If no parties meet the quota, the smallest party is eliminated, and all of their votes are redistributed across the other parties.
This repeats until all of the seats are filled.

233
Q

What is the equation for the droop quota?

A

(Total number of valid votes in a region / number of seats available in the region +1) +1.

234
Q

What does the STV do in terms of vote
representation?

A

There is a closer correlation between voter percentage, and seats elected.

235
Q

What are the effects of STV?

A

A multiparty system.
Coalition governments.
The likelihood of safe seats is low.
Value of each vote is more uniform.

236
Q

What are the advantages of STV?

A

Proportional Result
Voter Choice
Greater Representation

237
Q

Why is a proportional result an advantage of
STV?

A

It is the most proportional system used within the UK. THe result is closely correlated between the percentage of vote cast and percentage of seats gained.

238
Q

Why is voter choice an advantage of STV?

A

Voters have a great deal of choice, not only between parties but also within parties.

239
Q

Voters have a great deal of choice, not only between parties but also within parties.

A

The multi-member constituencies mean a voter is likely to have someone available that shares their ideologies.

240
Q

What are the disadvantages of STV?

A

More complicated.
Unlikely single-party government.
Lack of Constituency Link

241
Q

Why is being more complicated a negative of
STV?

A

While the process is simple, the following maths is more difficult to understand, so people may choose not to vote.

242
Q

Why is an unlikely single-party government a negative of STV?

A

The proportional nature means that most governments will need to be coalitions. These are often weaker than single-party governments.

243
Q

Why is a lack of a constituency link a negative of STV?

A

With no local representatives, the link between an elected representative and their area is weaker.

244
Q

What is a supplementary vote?

A

A majoritarian voting system in which voters can express two preferances.

245
Q

Why do Londoners now have an elected mayor?

A

A referendum in 1998.

246
Q

How is London Mayor elected?

A

Supplementary Vote.

247
Q

What does the supplementary vote ensure?

A

The winner must have a majority of the vote.

248
Q

Who was the first London mayor?

A

Ken Livingstone.

249
Q

What party did Ken Livingstone run for during his time as London Mayor?

A

None.
He was independant.

250
Q

How often are mayorial elections for London?

A

Once every 4 years.

251
Q

How does the supplementary vote work in practice?

A

The area is treated as one large constituency.
Voters are given a ballot paper with all of the candidates listed, along with two columns.
The voter will place an X for their first choice, and an X for a different second choice.
If anyone has a majority, they win the election.
If no one has a majority, only the top two candidates remain, and the second votes for the eliminated candidates are reallocated to the final two candidates.
Whoever has a majority at this point wins.

252
Q

What was the mayorial election turnout in
2016?

A

45%.

253
Q

How many voters turned out to vote in the
2016 London Mayorial Election?

A

2.5 million.

254
Q

How many voters expressed no second preference?

A

-400,000.

255
Q

What are the effects of SV?

A

Likely a two-party system. (possibly more so than FPTP)

256
Q

What are the advantages of the SV?

A

Majority result
Voter choice
Simple system

257
Q

Why is a majority result a benefit of the SV?

A

Increases the legitimacy, while still ensuring extremist parties are kept out of influence.

258
Q

Why is voter choice a benefit of the SV?

A

Voters can vote for a smaller party with their first choice, but using their second choice on a larger party to ensure their vote is not wasterd.

259
Q

Why is a simple system a benefit of the SV?

A

It is easy to understand.

260
Q

What are the disadvantages of the SV?

A

Two party dominance.
A false majority.
Wasted votes.

261
Q

Why is a two-party dominance a negative of the SV?

A

The elimination of all but two candidates in one go means that third parties are unlikely to do well, making the result less proportional.
This may encourage tactical voting with the second choice.

262
Q

Why is a false majority a negative of the SV?

A

As there are two rounds of voting, the voters may not actually have wanted the winner in office, but as they had enough second choice votes, they take office.

263
Q

Why are wasted votes a negative of the SV?

A

Similar to FPTP, there are a large number of wasted votes that have little to no effect on the election outcome.

264
Q
A
265
Q

What is the Jenkin’s Commission?

A

Labour set up this commission (while in power) to look into possible FPTP replacements.

266
Q

What was expected of proportional systems in terms of government types?

A

More coalition / minority governments.

267
Q

Are there more parties in elections due to the proportional systems?

A

Yes. Nationalist and unionist parties have seen success. Along with this, the Conservative party has seen more success in Scotland due the AMS.

268
Q

What has been argued about smaller parties representation?

A

Their powers are over-represented as small parties have now become kingmakers as they can choose who enters into power especially if elections are close.

269
Q

What impact has proportional systems had on the wider UK FPTP system?

A

Smaller nationalist parties such as the SN saw more success within Scotland and as a result became a larger party in the larger GE’s.

270
Q

What is the problem with voter data garnered from devolved bodies?

A

Despite appearing that less people have turned out due to the complexity, many people do not turnout to vote as they do not think it’s important in terms of devolution.
Extrapolating data is dangerous as these systems have not been integrated in a nationwide elction.

271
Q

Should FPTP be replaced for UK General
Elections?
(Yes)

A

FPTP is no longer producing a strong single-party government as promised.
The lack of proportionality does not fit with the principles of representative democracy.
The government could be argued to lack legitimacy due to a minority of voters actually voting for them.
‘One person, one vote’ is not actually applicable as inequality in voter value exists due to FPTP.
Many votes are wasted leading to tactical voting.
The two-party system undermines liberal and pluralist democratic principles.

272
Q

Should FPTP be replaced for UK General
Elections?
(No)

A

The FPTP system is widely understood by the public, so an educated public is more likely to vote increasing the legitimacy of the government.
Governments tend to be strong and stable.
Smaller parties can still do well.
Popular parties gaining votes but not seats still have their policies adopted by the larger parties.
There is a clear choice in a two-party system.
Proportional systems weaken the link between geographical areas and the people that represent them.

273
Q

Why have questions about FPTP maintained despite the public voting to not adopt AV?

A

The contentious 2015 and 2017 elections ensure these questions remain.

274
Q

Where is AV used in British politics?

A

It is used to decide the Labour party leader.

275
Q

How does AV work?

A

Voter rank candidates in order of choice.
If on the first count, no candidate has reached >50% of the vote, the candidate with the lowest votes is eliminated and votes are given to the second place candidate.
The process continues until one candidate reaches 50%.

276
Q

What is a referendum?

A

A ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to vote offered to the public on a single issue.

277
Q

Why have referendums been used in the UK?

A

Give more power to the Welsh Assembly
Consider replacing FPTP
Give Scotland a vote on independence
Give the UK public a vote on leaving the EU

278
Q

Why did the EU referendum cause such problems?

A

Only giving two choices of ‘remain’ or ‘leave’ ensured the decision would be enforced by Parliament.

279
Q

Why might a government call a referendum?

A

In response to public pressure.
To resolve controversial issues within a party.
As part of an agreement between two parties.
Lend legitimacy to constitutional changes.

280
Q

What is an example of a government calling a referendum due to public pressure?

A

2014 Scottish Indy Ref due to majority SNP government.
2016 EU Ref due to UKIP arguing for leaving EU and promising a referendum, the Conservative Party offered a referendum to not lose it’s voters to UKIP.

281
Q

What is a feature of a referendum that most tend to neglect?

A

As Parliament is sovereign, they can just ignore a referendum’s results as it is simply advisory.

282
Q

Why does the Supreme Courts case ensuring that parliament would follow the EU referendum mean little?

A

Parliament could pass another law that ignores the Supreme Court as sovereignty lies with Parliament.

283
Q

Why has Parliament followed the result of every referendum in UK history?

A

Public pressure would make not following the result highly unadvisable.

284
Q

What were the conclusions of the
Investigation into Vote Leave?

A

Referendum spending was £7,449,079.34, exceeding the spending limit of £7,000,000.
The spending return was inaccurate for 43 items of spending, totalling to £236,501.44
BeLeave exceeded the spending limit of £10,000 by more than
£666,000.
Vote Leave failed to comply with an investigation notice.

285
Q

What are the notable consequences of referendum usage in the UK?

A

The public now expect far more referendums than before.

286
Q

Why has the public’s expectation of more referendums occured?

A

The UK constitution is uncodified and unentrenched.

287
Q

What was a common demand after the Brexit referendum?

A

Another referendum on EU membership.

288
Q

Why was the second EU referendum opposed by then-PM Theresa May?

A

She argued that to not deliver on the original referendum would threaten social cohesion by ignoring the democratic will of the people.

289
Q

What is a referendum an example of?

A

Direct democracy.

290
Q

What problems does added direct democracy cause?

A

There might be considerable conflict between the public and the elected officials, particularly in light of misleading campaigns.

291
Q

What does a referendum involve?

A

A vote on a narrow issue
A ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote
Called when the government wishes
The result is not legally binding
An example of direct democracy

292
Q

What does the UK representative democracy hinge upon?

A

The ‘trustee model’, with elected officials being allowed to use their conscience to act in the best interests of the governed.

293
Q

Are referendums good for the UK? (Yes)

A

Encourage participation and education.
Provided a clear answer to political issues.
Enhanced liberal democracy.
The management of referendums is overseen by an independent
Electoral Commission.
Enhanced representation in the UK.
Accepted constitutional convention.

294
Q

Are referendums good for the UK? (No)

A

Turnout for some has been low, undermining legitimacy of result.
Close results are more divisive than settling.
Some campaigns have been massively misleading.
Government decides when to call a referendum, meaning power is concentrated in the government.
Undermines representative democracy.
Issues are often complex with voters lacking necessary information.
Parliamentary sovereignty is undermined in reality as pressure from the people to honour the will of the people.

Uk Government Content (20 decks)

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