week 11 - electoral systems Flashcards
(10 cards)
what is a majoritarian system?
A majoritarian voting system is an electoral framework where the candidate or party that secures the most votes wins the election. A system that aims to let the will of the majority take reign. Therefore there isn’t any mechanisms in place to restrict it. The majority is therefore seen as a threshold rather than a target in mind (unlike representative systems that actively want to ensure more representation – this is their target).
Majoritarian systems are designed to ensure that elected representatives have the support of a majority of voters, promoting stability and clear accountability in governance.
whats the difference between an absolute majority system and a relative majority system?
Absolute majority - needs over 50% of votes
Relative majority - needs the highest vote share, even if below 50%
what are the different majoritarian systems?
FPTP - relative majority system
AV (alternative vote) - absolute majority
what is a plurality system?
is an electoral system where the candidate who receives the most votes in a constituency wins, even if they do not secure an absolute majority. Victory is determined by having the highest vote count among all candidates, regardless of the margin
what is the FPTP system?
Is a plurality system of voting in which all the citizens get a single vote that they must cast for a single candidate who represents a party. it is a relative majority system in which you only need to get a majority relative to your other competitors.
The country is split up into constituencies in which each constituency elects one representative. in the Uk different constituencies have different population sizes and land mass.
The candidate who wins the most votes in their constituency wins.
Due to this “winner takes all” approach, this encourages tactical voting - in which you vote amongst the candidates you think have a chance of winning, instead of the candidates that actually align with you the best.
what is the spoiler effect in FPTP?
it has a “spoiler effect” in which the losing candidate effects who ends up winning by simply taking part in the election. this is because they take some of the vote share which effects who ends up voting for other parties. however as their vote is not transferred, these votes are just left unrepresented - when in reality, these people could’ve tactically voted for someone with a better chance of actually winning.
what is the alternative vote?
It is a majoritarian style of voting system.You receive a ballot and you can rank your candidates in order of preference. There are multiple rounds of voting
There is usually a threshold of 50% in order to be elected in such system. During the first round of voting if any candidate wins 50% then they are elected. for the second round of voting, the candidate who received the least votes is eliminated and their 2nd preferences are distributed to that candidate. This process is done until someone else reaches 50% again.
what is a case study on the alternative vote?
The alternative vote system was the system put to referendum in 2011 - with 67% of those that voted voting against the change. however, there was a turnout of only 42%.
^However, the referendum only took place as an agreement between the conservative party and the liberal democrats so they could create a coalition government. The Lib Dems have historically lost out during elections, not due to their support base, but because of the FPTP system - however the conservative party have always done quite well under such system. Therefore David Cameron agreed to a referendum, but dictated what type of electoral system would be placed on the ballot.
^The low turnout however may not indicate the publics satisfaction with FPTP but rather how poorly the referendum was carried out. There was little campaigning, little information provided (in comparison to other referendums - like Scotlands independence 2014 or Brexit 2017)
what is a proportionally representative system?
an electoral method designed to allocate legislative seats to political parties in proportion to their share of the popular vote. Elections often occur in larger districts with multiple seats, allowing diverse representation. the goal is to achieve greater representation of minority interests at the expense of the majority. This should reduce wasted votes and ensures minority parties gain seat.
What is the AMS system?
a proprotionally representative system, in which you get two ballots.
