electoral systems in the UK

• what are the features of a parliamentary system of government?

  PM is the leader of the party and directly accountable to them.

  president or monarch is ceremonial head of state.

  government can introduce its own laws

  government has a majority in government

  each branch of government is less independent than the other
• what are the features of a presidential government system?

  president elected by and directly accountable to the electorate.

  president is head of state and government

  president cannot introduce their own laws and may not have a majority in parliament

  clear separations of powers with checks and balances
• what is FPTP?

  • plurality voting
  • used in local and general elections in england
  • voters vote for a candidate once
  • winner is determined by who gets the most votes
  • winner doesn’t need a majority to win
• what are the problems with FPTP?

  • minority rule
  • results in 2 party system
  • gerrymandering
  • the spoiler effect
  • millions of votes are wasted
  • turnout for FPTP is normally lower
• what are the alternatives to FPTP?

  • supplementary vote

  - one ballot but two votes for a first and second choice

  • STV

  - one ballot where there are as many votes as there are candidates -> order them in preference

  • AMS

  - 2 ballots -> one for constituency and one for regional
• what are the advantages for supplementary voting?

  • voters can vote for minor parties with first choice and use their second choice for a main party
  • improves the legitimacy of FPTP as representatives and parties need to get broader support
• what are the disadvantages of supplementary voting?

  • still possible for a winner to be elected without a majority
  • very difficult for minor parties to win though they may get support at the first stage
• what are the advantages of STV?

  • really allows voters to support minor parties
• what is the disadvantage of STV?

  • the system for counting the votes is complex to understand. it leaves room for error and makes the system less transparent
• what are the advantages for AMS?

  • using this system the voter has the most choice as they can choose an individual and a party
  • split ticket votes allow for voters to vote for one party for their constituency and another regionally
• what are the disadvantages of AMS?

  • voters cannot choose candidates on a ‘closed list’ for regional voting because you can only vote for a party
  • relatively complex to understand because it uses two different systems
• when was the referendum on the alternative vote?

  2011
• why was the alternative vote not liked?

  it was a product of the liberal democrat - conservative coalition where the lib dems wanted electoral reform and conservatives didn't as it wouldn't benefit them. therefore the AV was not what either side of the political spectrum wanted
• was the AV rejected or accepted?

  rejected
• where is first past the post used most frequently?

  england
• where is additional member system used most frequently?

  Wales and Scotland
• where is single transferable vote used most often?

  Northern Ireland
• what is a plurality electoral system?

  A system where the candidate with the most votes wins, regardless of whether they have a majority.
• what is a majoritarian electoral system?

  there is a majority required to win
• what is a proportional representation electoral system?

  A system where the number of seats a political party wins in an election is proportional to the number of votes it receives.