Electoral Systems

Question 1

Functions of elections

Answer 1

Form a government
Ensure representation
Uphold legitimacy
Political education

Question 2

Types of elections

Answer 2

General elections
Devolved assembly elections
European Parliament elections
Local elections
Mayor, district, borough and county councils.

Question 3

Four main types of voting systems

Answer 3

Plurality
Majoritarian
Proportional
Hybrid

Question 4

Plurality

Answer 4

The winner is the candidate with more votes than any of the other candidates; that is, only one more vote than any other candidate is required

Question 5

Majoritarian

Answer 5

The winner is the candidate with more votes than any of the other candidates, but it has to be at least 50% + 1

Question 6

Proportional

Answer 6

The number of winners is proportional to the number of votes received eg 20% of votes = 20 seats in parliament

Question 7

Hybrid

Answer 7

A mixture of some or all of the above systems

Question 8

Advantages of FPTP

Answer 8

Simplicity
Clear outcome
Strong and accountable government
Effective representation

Question 9

Disadvantages of FPTP

Answer 9

Unfairness and bias
Plurality, not a majority
Votes are of unequal value
Limited choice

Question 10

Other electoral systems used in the UK

Answer 10

Supplementary vote

Question 11

Supplementary vote

Answer 11

Voter records their 1st and 2nd preferences on the ballot paper. If no candidate wins a majority of 1st preferences, all but the top 2 candidates are eliminated. The 2nd preference votes for the 2 remaining candidates are added. The candidate with the highest total is elected

Question 12

Where is supplementary vote used

Answer 12

Used to elect the mayor of London and directly elected mayors in other towns and cities

Question 13

Advantages of supplementary vote

Answer 13

Winning candidate must achieve broad support- greater legitimacy.
Supporters of smaller parties can use their 1st preference to express their allegiance and their 2nd preference to indicate which major party candidate their prefer.
Votes of people who use both 1st and 2nd preferences to support minor parties do not influence the election outcome

Question 14

Disadvantages of supplementary vote

Answer 14

Winning candidate may not have a true majority if 2nd preferences aren’t used effectively.
Only voters who choose one of the top two candidates can influence the outcome.
Candidate with most 1st preference votes can still lose.
Not proportional, unsuitable for general elections.