Evaluating First Past The Post Flashcards
(13 cards)
+ String links between MP and constituents
+ Single member constituencies maintain a link and geographical representation
+ Easy to know who to go to when you have an issue you want raised
+ Keeps out extremist parties
+ Small parties failing to gain traction means small extremists can’t get in
+ By contrast, the BNP won in London and European elections in 2008 and 2009 both of which were using PR but never to Westminster
+ Prevents disproportionate representation of small parties
+ Small parties often given disproportionate power under PR
+ Some would argue Conservatives were restrained too much by the LibDems despite them being the junior member
- Seats don’t reflect the amount of votes won
- In 2015 UKIP won w.9 million votes but only one seat, whereas the SNP won 56 seats with 1.5 million votes
- In February 1974, the Conservatives won more votes but less seats than Labour
- Disproportionately unfair to smaller parties. From 1945 to 2010 there was only ever one of two parties in government
± Strong and stable government
+ Usually delivers a landslide for one party
+ Single party governments can get on with the job without having to consult other parties
+ Single party governments much easier to hold to account
- Doesn’t guarantee single party government with a majority as was the case in 1974 and 2010
- Not all coalition governments are weak and unstable, like the Con-LibDem coalition
- Wasted votes and safe seats
- In 2015, 74.4% of votes were wasted as they had no influence on the outcome
- In 2001, the Conservatives didn’t win a single seat in Wales despite winning 21% of the vote
- The creation of safe seats discourages people from participating if they think their vote counts for nothing
- Discourages participation
- In safe seats
- Supporters of small parties can’t vote for who they want to
- Some parties don’t run in all constituencies, so their supporters can’t vote for them anyway
- Gives government thin mandate
- The last time a government won more than 50% of the vote was 1935
- Despite this, the winning party make 100% of the decisions
- An electoral dictatorship is created wherein a party wins a minority of the vote and then ignores the views of other parties
- It is hard for governments to claim legitimacy when they usually have about a third of the vote
- In 2015, 331 MPs were elected on a minority vote
- Discourages social representation
- Parties can only select one candidate so tend to go with the “most electable”
- In 2015, 29% of elected MPs were women and only 6% were people of colour
- Encourages tactical voting
- Voters vote to keep someone out rather than for the person they want to win
- In 2015, around 9% of voters voted tactically
- Over importance of marginal seats
- Some votes are more important than others
- Constituents in marginal seats receive preferential treatment e.g. Conservative hospital closures did not affect any marginal constituencies
± Easy to understand
+ Very easy to cast a vote
+ In 2005 less than 1% of ballots were spoiled compared to 3.5% in the Scottish elections in 2007
- Most other European nations have learned the system, why can’t we?
+ Provides mandate to deliver promises
+ Single party governments can implement their manifestos
+ When the LibDems went into coalition they had to compromise on promises such as tuition fees
