TOPIC 5 - PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION Flashcards
(22 cards)
WHAT IS PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION?
REPRESENTATION THAT DESCRIBES ANY ELECTION SYSTEM WHICH CONVERTS VOTES INTO SEATS IN A BROADLY PROPORTIONAL WAY.
HOW IS THE 1ST STEP OF STV?
VOTERS RANK CANDIDATES BY PREFERENCE ON THEIR BALLOT MARKING 1 FOR THEIR FIRST CHOICE, 2 FOR THEIR 2ND ETC. CAN RANK AS MANY OR AS FEW CANDIDATES AS THEY LIKE.
WHAT IS THE 2ND STEP OF STV?
TO DETERMINE HOW MANY VOTES A CANDIDATE NEEDS TO WIN A SEAT THE DROOP FORMULA IS USED.
WHAT IS THE DROOP FORMULA?
WHAT IS THE 3RD STEP OF STV?
FIRST PREFERENCES ARE COUNTED AND ANY CANDIDATE WHO REACHES THE QUOTA WITH THEIR FIRST PREFERENCE VOTES IS IMMEDIATELY ELECTED.
WHAT IS THE 4TH STEP OF STV?
IF A CANDIDATE RECEICES MORE VOTES THAN THE QUOTA, THEIR SURPLUS VOTES ARE TRANSFERRED ACCORDING TO VOTERS’ NEXT PREFERENES SO NO VOTES ARE WASTED.
WHAT IS THE 5TH STEP OF STV?
IF NO CANDIDATE REACHES THE QUOTA, THE CANDIDATE WITH THE FEWEST VOTES IS ELIMINATED AND VOTES ARE REDISTRIBUTED ACCORDINGLY.
WHAT IS THE 6TH STEP OF STV?
PROCESS OF REDISTRIBUTION AND ELIMINATION CONTINUES UNTIL ALL SEATS ARE FILLED.
WHERE IS STV USED?
NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS
WHEN WAS THE LAST ELECTION IN WHICH STV WAS USED?
5TH MAY 2022
WHO IS THE LEADER OF SINN FEIN?
MARY LOU MCDONALD.
WHAT WERE PARTY VOTE PERCENTAGES AND SEAT PERCENTAGES IN STV 2022 ELECTION?
- SINN FEIN WON 29% FIRST VOTES AND 27 SEATS (30%)
- DUP WON 21.3% AND 25 SEATS(27.8%)
- ALLIANCE WON 13.5% AND 17 SEATS(18.9%)
- UUP WON 11.2% AND 9 SEATS(10%)
WHAT WAS TURNOUT IN 2022 STV ELECTION?
63%
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF STV SYSTEM?
- FAIRLY PROPORTIONAL
- LOTS OF CHOICE
- LEADS TO COALITIONS
HOW IS STV FAIRLY PROPORTIONAL?
NUMBER OF SEATS IS MORE IN LINE WITH NUMBER OF VOTES IT RECEIVES. VOTERS FEEL THAT THEIR PREFERENCES ARE MORE ACCURATELY REFLECTED IN THE FINAL COMPOSITION OF THE ELECTED BODY.
HOW DOES STV CREATE LOTS OF CHOICE?
VOTERS RANK CANDIDATES IN ORDER OF PREFERENCE WHICH ALLOWS FOR MORE NUANCED VOTING. POSSIBLE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN CANDIDATES OF SAME PARTY AND DIFFERENT PARTIES ALLOWING FOR A BROADER SAY AND REDUCED INFLUENCE OF STRICT PARTY LOYALTY.
WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF COALITION DEVELOPMENT IN STV?
LEADS TO REPRESENTATION OF WIDER SPECTRUM OF VOTER INTEREST MAKING SURE GOVT R MORE INCLUSIVE. ACTS AS A FORM OF CHECKS AND BALANCES TO REDUCE AUTHORITARIAN TENDENCIES AND MORE ACCOUNTABILITY LEADING TO MORE TRANSPARENT GOVERNANCE.
WHAT ARE THE DISADVANTAGES OF STV?
- LEADS TO COALITIONS
- COMPLEXITY
- FACILITATES EXTREMIST PARTIES
- NOT 100% PROPORTIONAL
WHAT IS THE DISADVANTAGE OF COALITION DEVELOPMENT AS A RESULT OF STV?
COALITIONS ARE INHERENTLY UNSTABLE AS DISAGREEMENTS CAN LEAD TO BREAKDOWN OF GOVT AS EACH PARTY HAS ITS OWN AGENDA AND PRIORITIES - HARDER TO MAINTAIN UNITY.
MORE FREQUENT GRIDLOCK LEADING TO POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY.
HOW DOES STV CREATE COMPLEXITY?
VOTERS NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW VOTE COUNTING AND TRANSFERRING PROCESS WORKS. MAY DISCOURAGE VOTER PARTICIPATION AND INCREASED ERRORS WHEN BALLOTS ARE FILLED OUT.
HOW MANY SPOILT BALLOTS WERE THERE AS A RESULT OF STV IN 2022?
11,084
HOW DOES STV FACILITATE EXTREMIST PARTIES?
PROPORTIONAL NATURE ALLOWS FOR THE GAIN OF REPRESENTATION GIVING THEIR VIEWS A DEGREE OF LEGITIMACY AND PLATFORM IN LEGISLATIVE PROCESS. CAN NORMALISE VIEWS THAT MAY OUT OF THE BOUNDS OF ACCEPTABLE PUBLIC DISCOURSE.
