Majoritarian systems- FPTP, SV and AV

Majoritarian systems- FPTP, SV and AV

1. Two party systems

   • Only the two main parties have realistic chance of taking power
     • In 2015 they got 2/3 of the vote but 80% of the seats
   • Favours parties with strong nationwide support
     • Disadvantages parties with thinly spread support
       • ie UKIP v SNP
   • Little incentive for a faction within a main party to breakaway and form a new party
   • Disguises the advance of multi- party politics

2. Winner's bonus

   • Landslide effect
   • Exaggerates the the performance of the most popular party
     • Labour party landslide 1997/2001
     • Conservative party landslide 1983/1987
   • A relatively small lead often translates into a substantial lead in seats
     • In 2015 37% turned into 51% of the seats for the tories whereas Labour got 30% and 36% of the seats

3. Bias to SNP

   • Because they only stand in Scotland they have concentrated support. This is a big bonus in FPTP
     • because thinly spread voting doesn't win seats
   • The seats in Scotland are on average smaller than seats in the rest of the country. They need less votes to win

4. The wrong side can win

   • In 1951 the tories got more seats but the Labour party got more votes but it's fair because....
     • In Feb 1974 Labour got more seats despite the Conservatives getting more votes

5. Discrimination against third/ smaller parties

   • No rewards for coming second or third
   • Parties with thinly spread support lose out
     • UKIP over 900,000 votes in 2010, but 0% seat share
     • Lib Dems 23% of the vote but only won a single seat
     • Green Party over 1.5 million votes but only one MP
     • In 2015 UKIP obtained 12.6% of the vote and only won one seat

6. Single Party government

   • Coalition &minority governments are quite rare
     • Only Feb 1974 and May 2010 general elections have not given a majority for one party