Advantages and disadvantages

• Advantages of the addition

  • It produces a broadly proportional outcome and so is fair to all parties
  • It gives voters two votes and so more choice
  • It combines preserving constituency representation with a proportional outcome
• Drawbacks of the addition

  • It produces two classes of representative-those with a constituency and those elected through the lists. The latter tend to be senior
  • It is more complex than first-past-the-post. Having two votes can confuse some voters
  • It can result in the election of extremist candidates
  • It is more likely to result in minority or coalition government
  • The SNP has been the dominant party in Scotland since 2007, running a majority government in 2011-16. However the SNP are now 2022- in coalition with the Green Party. AMS may have contributed to the rise of Nationalism in Scotland