politics- electoral systems

Question 1

What is an electoral system?

Answer 1

The method used to calculate the number of elected positions in government that individuals and parties are awarded after elections.

Question 2

What are the two main types of electoral systems in the UK?

Answer 2

Proportional and non-proportional electoral systems.

Question 3

True or False: Non-proportional electoral systems have a close relationship between the % of votes cast for a Party and the % of seats they gain.

Answer 3

False.

Question 4

What is the most common type of non-proportional electoral system?

Answer 4

First-Past-the-Post (FPTP).

Question 5

In a First-Past-the-Post system, how many votes does a candidate need to win?

Answer 5

One vote more than any other candidate in their constituency.

Question 6

What type of system is the Supplementary Vote?

Answer 6

Majoritarian system.

Question 7

What is the goal of the winning candidate in a Supplementary Vote system?

Answer 7

To get more than 50% of the votes cast.

Question 8

What does the Alternative Vote system allow voters to do?

Answer 8

Rank as many candidates as they want.

Question 9

What is the relationship between votes cast and seats won in Proportional electoral systems?

Answer 9

A far closer relationship.

Question 10

What is the Party List System?

Answer 10

Parties present a list of candidates, and voters vote for a party rather than a candidate.

Question 11

How are seats allocated in the Party List System?

Answer 11

In the same order as the party list.

Question 12

What is the Single Transferable Vote?

Answer 12

Used in multi-member constituencies, where voters rank candidates in order.

Question 13

How is a quota calculated in the Single Transferable Vote system?

Answer 13

Depending on the seats available and the number of voters.

Question 14

What happens if a candidate beats the quota in the Single Transferable Vote system?

Answer 14

They get elected, and their surplus votes are allocated based on second preferences.

Question 15

What is the Additional Member System (AMS)?

Answer 15

A hybrid electoral system combining FPTP with Party List.

Question 16

What are the advantages of the Additional Member System?

Answer 16

Voter-representative link from FPTP and the proportionality of Party List.

Question 17

What is electoral reform?

Answer 17

Electoral reform is where the electoral systems we use to help the public express their desires in elections are improved.

Question 18

What is the most prominent form of electoral reform?

Answer 18

The most prominent form of electoral reform is changing the voting system, which translates votes into seats.

Question 19

What voting system might be changed in the UK for Westminster General Elections?

Answer 19

The voting system might change from First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) to a more proportionally representative system.

Question 20

What does electoral reform include beyond the voting system?

Answer 20

Electoral reform includes improving vote-counting procedures, eligibility to vote, constituency boundaries, voter safety, election financing, ballot design, voting equipment, and candidate nomination.

Question 21

Which pressure group is associated with electoral reform in the UK?

Answer 21

The pressure group most associated with pushing for improvements in the way elections are run in the UK is the Electoral Reform Society.

Question 22

What is First-Past-the-Post (FPTP)?

Answer 22

FPTP is a simple plurality electoral system used in the Westminster general election to allocate votes to seats.

Question 23

What are the vote counts for candidates A, B, and C?

Answer 23

Candidate A: 20,000, Candidate B: 15,000, Candidate C: 35,000.

Question 24

Who wins in the provided example of FPTP?

Answer 24

Candidate C wins.

Question 25

How many seats does a party need to win a majority in the House of Commons?

Answer 25

A party needs to win more than 50% of the seats, which is 326 in the House of Commons.

Question 26

What happens to the votes of losing candidates in FPTP?

Answer 26

Votes for losing candidates are considered wasted, as are surplus votes of the winning candidate.

Question 27

Can a party win 100% of the seats with less than 50% of the votes?

Answer 27

Yes, it is possible for a party to win 100% of the seats with only 50% of the overall vote.

Question 28

What example illustrates the non-proportional nature of FPTP?

Answer 28

In the 2005 election, Labour achieved 55% of the seats with only 35% of the vote.

Question 29

What is a consequence of using FPTP?

Answer 29

FPTP rewards parties that win small and lose big.

Question 30

What is the general outcome of Westminster General Elections under FPTP?

Answer 30

Most elections are won by parties with nowhere near 50% of the total vote.

Question 31

What is a safe seat?

Answer 31

A safe seat is one in which the incumbent has a considerable majority over the closest rival and is largely immune from swings in voting choice.

Question 32

Why are most UK Westminster constituencies considered safe seats?

Answer 32

A majority of seats are safe due to the requirement for only a simple majority and the ability of larger parties to concentrate support in defined geographical areas.

Question 33

What is the safest Labour seat in the UK?

Answer 33

The safest Labour seat in the UK is Liverpool Walton.

Question 34

What is the safest Conservative seat in the UK?

Answer 34

The safest Conservative seat in the UK is Buckingham.

Question 35

How does the existence of safe seats affect voter turnout?

Answer 35

The existence of safe seats partly explains the relatively low turnout seen in many UK General Elections.

Question 36

What percentage of constituencies saw a candidate win with over 50% of the vote in the 2005 General Election?

Answer 36

In the 2005 General Election, only 219 constituencies, or around one third of contested seats, saw a candidate win with over 50% of the vote.

Question 37

What was the lowest percentage of the electorate voting for a winning candidate in the 2005 General Election?

Answer 37

The smallest percentage came in Poplar & Canning Town, where only 18.36% of eligible voters backed Labour’s Jim Fitzpatrick.

Question 38

What was the turnout percentage in the safe seat of Staffordshire South during the 2005 General Election?

Answer 38

Staffordshire South had a turnout of only 37.21%.

Question 39

How did the number of safe seats change from the 2015 to the 2017 General Election?

Answer 39

The number of safe seats increased significantly, with seats won by a margin of over 50% rising from 21 in 2015 to 35 in 2017.

Question 40

What does the phrase 'electoral desert' refer to?

Answer 40

The phrase ‘electoral desert’ denotes a region with many safe seats where there is effectively ‘no contest’ on polling day.

Question 41

How does the existence of safe seats affect political representation?

Answer 41

Safe seats can disenfranchise voters and reduce the political importance of the areas concerned.

Question 42

What criticism is often leveled against MPs in safe seats?

Answer 42

Critics argue that safe seats create complacent MPs with ‘jobs for life’ who take voters for granted.

Question 43

What was suggested by the 'Yes to fairer votes' campaign regarding safe seats?

Answer 43

It was suggested that the prevalence of safe seats had a bearing on the scale of the MPs' expenses scandal exposed by the Daily Telegraph in 2009.