Gov P1 Electoral systems

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A level government & politics (Electoral Systems & Referendums ) Flashcards on Gov P1 Electoral systems, created by Lucy Burke on 25/05/2017.
Lucy Burke
Flashcards by Lucy Burke, updated more than 1 year ago
Lucy Burke
Created by Lucy Burke over 7 years ago
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Question Answer
What were the 2015 general election results? (% of vote vs. % of seats) Conservatives: 376.9% of the vote, 51% of seats. Labour: 30.4% of the vote, 36% of seats. SNP: 4.7% of the vote, 8.6% of seats. Lib Dems: 8% of the vote, 1.2% of seats. UKIP: 12.6% of the vote, 1 MP.
What have the governments been like since the Scottish Parliament was formed in 2007? 2007: SNP minority gov. (37% of seats) 2011: SNP majority gov. (53% of seats) 2016: SNP minority gov. (49% of seats, 2 seats short of a majority)
What is an election? A competitive process in which the electorate select individuals who will fill particular posts.
What is a mandate? An authoritative command/instruction. The doctrine gives the winning party authority to press ahead with the programme it presented to the electorate. A manifesto is a promise of future legislative action- mandate implies that a gov. shouldn't introduce a major policy change unless it has been presented to the electorate.
What are the functions of elections? 1) Representation 2) Participation 3) Influence over policy (election defeat Labour 1983 unilateral disarmament) 3) Accountability 4) Legitimacy
Define legitimacy contested concept equated with rightfulness. A political system is legitimate when it is based on the consent of the people. Political actions are legitimate if they follow agreed laws or procedures. Liberal democracy accepts gov. legitimacy if it acts within lawful powers.
Name the electoral systems used in the UK. (with examples) 1) Majoritarian (AV, SV) 2) Simple Plurality (FPTP) 3) Hybrid (AMS) 4) Proportional (Regional List, STV)
Define: Majoritarian, Simple Plurality, Hybrid and Proportional Representation. 1) Majoritarian: winning candidate must secure an absolute majority of votes cast. 2) Simple Plurality: Candidate with the most votes wins. 3) Hybrid: proportion of representatives elected under majoritarian/plurality and the others are elected as additional members using PR in an MM con. 4) Proportional Representation: MM con, an electoral formula is used to match the % of seats won by each party to the % of votes won.
What are the electoral systems used in the UK and where are they used? 1) FPTP (simple plurality)- UK GE. 2) SV (majoritarian)- directly elected mayors & police and crime commissioners. 3) AV (majoritarian)- 2011 AV, Labour leadership and LD leadership. 4)AMS (hybrid)- elections to Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and London Assembly. 5) Regional List (Proportional)- European Parliament. 6) STV (Proportional)- Northern Irish Assembly & European Parliament, local elections in Scotland
What was the 2010 example involving Glenda Jackson? In 2010 in Hampstead and Kilburn, Glenda Jackson won with under 1/3 of the votes cast. Winning with 42 more votes, with Chris Philip in 2nd. Jackson had 17,000 for her and 35,000 against her.
Why is first past the post bias in favour of Labour? 2001 Lab. majority: 167, smaller share of the vote than the conservatives in 1992, 21 seat majority. 1) 2010- the electorate in constituencies won in Labour was on average 3,800 lower than the conservatives. 2) Turnout is lower in Labour held seats, 61% in 2010 compared to 68% in conservative seats. labour win seats with low turnout while conservatives pile up wasted votes in safe seats.
Define the term wasted vote. A vote for the losing candidate in a single-member constituency or a vote for the winning candidate that was surplus to the plurality required for victory.
Define 'Adversarial Politics' 2 party system in which the governing party is confronted by an opposition party that offers a different policy programme, and which is outwardly hostile towards gov. even when in broad agreement.
What are the constituencies like in the UK electoral systems? 1) FPTP: single member 2) AV: single member 3) SV: Single member 4) STV: multi-member 5) Regional List: multi-member 6): AMS: multi-member
What were the results of the SV London Mayoral Election 2016? Sadiq Khan: 44% first preferences, 65.5% of second preferences- overall: 57% Zac Goldsmith: 35% of first preferences, 34.5% of second preferences- overall: 43% Siân Berry: 5.8% of first preferences, eliminated.
What were the results of the Regional List vote in the 2014 European Parliament Elections. UKIP: 27% of the vote, 33% of seats Labour: 24% of the vote, 27% of seats Conservatives: 23% of the vote, 26% of seats.
What were the results of the STV vote in the 2011 Northern Ireland Assembly elections? DUP: 29% of first pref; 35% of seats. Sinn Fein: 26% of first pref; 27% of seats. SDLP: 14% of first pref; 13% of seats. UUP: 13% of first pref; 15% of seats.
What is the d'Hondt Formula? Mathematical formula for allocating seats proportionally. Highest average system that uses a divisor method rather than a quota.
What were the results of the AMS vote in the 2011 Scottish Parliament elections? SNP: FPTP: 45% of vote, 73% of seats. SNP: R. List: 44% of vote, 29% of seats. SNP: 53% of seats. Labour: FPTP: 32% of vote, 11% of seats. Labour: PR: 36% of vote, 39% of seats. Labour: 29% of seats.
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