Comprehensive A* politics notes for the electoral systems. Includes the pros and cons of all FPTP, AMS, STV, SV, and referenda. Perfect for making essay plans.
Plurality - when the winner only needs to receive more votes than any of their
opponents.
Absolute majority - when the winner receives more votes than all the other
candidates put together, over 50% of total votes.
First Past the Post:
FPTP is a plurality electoral system where the person with the highest number of
votes is elected.
In Kensington in 2019, the winning margin was just 150 votes.
It is used in UK general elections.
Voters have one ballot paper and mark a cross next to one chosen candidate,
often representing a party. The candidate who receives the greatest number of
votes in that constituency becomes the representative for that constituency in
Westminster. There are 650 such constituencies in the UK.
Advantages:
It is simple to understand as voters just have to mark one candidate with
an X. This in turn promotes participation.
It is also simple and quick to count the votes and work out who has won.
Clear electoral results can be declared just hours after voting stops.
In 2011, voters were given a chance to adopt a different electoral system
and decisively rejected it in favour of retaining FPTP.
It tends to produce a strong and stable government in Westminster with
an outright majority and clear mandate to pass legislation and fulfil
manifesto promises.
o Since 1929 a single-party has achieved a majority on all but three
occasions.
It disregards radical views and prevents small extremist parties from
gaining representation.
o UKIP in 2010 received 12.6% of the vote but only one seat.
The constituency model ensures a strong relationship between
representatives and the needs and concerns of their constituencies, as
well as clarity of representation. It ensures a direct link between politics
and the people. Many hold weekly surgeries and most can be contacted by
email over issues.
o Since 2017 MP Tulip Siddiq campaigned on behalf of her constituent
who had been imprisoned in Iraq. In 2022 they were finally
released.
Disadvantages:
There are clear problems, indicated by the woeful voter turnout seen in
recent years. This makes the result less legitimate, and gives the
government less of a mandate.
o Historic low of 59% in 2001, and only climbing to 67% in 2019.
The majority of votes – cast for unsuccessful candidates – end up as
‘wasted votes’ and have no effect.
, New or small parties have little or no chance of getting representation,
leading to political stagnation. Voting for them is often seen as wasting
your vote. FPTP creates a two party system, and this leads to limited
choice and tactical voting (not as simple as voting for who you prefer).
The plurality of the system makes it disproportional. Votes and public
support do not correspond to seats in Westminster.
o In 2015 UKIP and the Green Party received almost five million votes
between them but only two seats. UKIP received 12.6% of the public
vote - as much as the liberal democrats and SNP combined who
achieved 64 seats - but UKIP was only rewarded with one.
Single party governments can be elected, with an absolute majority, on a
minority vote. This can lead to ‘tyranny of the minority’.
o Labour was elected with a 66 seat majority on just 35% of the vote
in 2005
A party can win the election, with an absolute majority, when another
party received far more votes.
o In 1951 Labour won the popular vote but received 26 less seats
than the conservatives.
o In 1974 Harold Wilson won more seats than the conservatives
despite receiving 200,000 less votes.
MPs can get elected on low levels of public support.
o The MP for Belfast South was elected on 24% of the vote in 2015
Nowadays, the positives of a strong and stable government cannot be
seen. It failed to produce a clear winner in two of the last four elections:
2010 and 2017.
Creates safe-seats leading to a meaningless vote and low turnout. Votes
have unequal value as they matter more in marginal seats than safe
seats.
There is little incentive for a representative or party to earn their votes or
work hard to be re-elected. Only concerns of people in swing seats are
addressed leading to differing levels of representation.
o In 2019, over 320 constituencies had a winning margin of 30% or
more making them extremely safe seats. Less than 70 had a truly
contested vote with a margin of below 5%.
An apolitical speaker or deputy speaker, or busy cabinet minister may
provide less effective representation than other backbenchers.
Additional member system:
The goal of AMS is to provide proportional representation but keep a single local
MP. It is a hybrid electoral system involving two ballot papers. On one, the voter
selects a local representative for the constituency who, like in FPTP, is elected
through a simple plurality system. On the second ballot paper the voter chooses
a party and additional MPs are added for parties depending on their votes in this
second ballot.
It is used in the Scottish and Welsh devolved assemblies, and the London
Assembly.
Advantages:
Everyone’s vote counts. No-one’s votes are wasted.
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