Flashcards
Elections
Flashcards do conjunto (8)
- 1FUNCTIONS1) Principle way in which governments in the U.k. are formed (General Elections every 5 years- serve for the electorate to choose which party to transfer power to)
Leader of the majority party--> Becomes PM and appoints Ministers.
A mandate is given to the government.
2) Ensure representation - Communication between the government and the people. Link is created between elected politicians and their constituents, ensuring grievances are properly addressed. Additionally, elections establish a general link between the government of the day and public opinion (people have the final control) - 2IMPACTS OF FPTP1) Tends to produce clear winner at general elections (one party usually wins over 50% of the seats) ---> form government and rely on parliamentary majority. Except 2010
2) Favours parties whose support is geographically concentrated --> parties whose support is dispersed tend to be unable to win the necessary 35%-plus of the votes in constituencies
3) Most MPs win less than an absolute majority (most voted against them)
4) Many wasted votes - either cast for candidates with no hope of winning or are in safe seats (one party is dominant)
5) Winning party is elected with less than a majority of the popular vote (total number of votes for the party in all constituencies)
e.g Labour 35% in 2005
6) Tactical voting - 3IMPACTS OF SV1) Ensures that the winner has an overall majority --> ensures fairness because all voters have two choices and so can potentially affect the outcome.
2) Doesn't ensure that the winning candidate has support of at least 50% of the electorate
3) Doesn't eliminate the likelihood of tactical voting - 4IMPACTS OF AVPotential impacts are uncertain, as it hasn't been in the UK.
1) Retains some constituencies - the bond is kept
2) Extremist parties are unlikely to gain support
3) All MPs would have a majority of their constituents --> prevents MPs being elected on a minority of the vote
4) No tactical voting, as their is a greater choice for the electorate
5) It is assumed that the Liberal Democrats would gain more seats
6) Not proportional - 5IMPACTS OF AMS1) Retains the single-member constituencies from FPTP
2) Provides in strong, stable governments in Germany (but not single-party governments)
3) Increase voter choice (2 choices) - at least one of them is effective
4) Enables smaller parties to win some seats, with the 'differential top up' system
5) Overall outcome tends to approximately proportional to support for all parties
6) Produced either a coalition government before 2011. In 2011 - SNP gained a majority in the Scottish Parliament - 6IMPACTS OF STV1) Large voter choice --> allows to show preference between candidates
2) There is a choice of representatives when deciding who to express their grievances to (multi-member constituencies)
3) Helps small parties win seats
4) Multi-party systems e.g. 5 parties in Northern Ireland gain a significant number of seats
5) Favours a power-sharing system --> essential in a deeply divided society like Northern Ireland - 7IMPACTS OF REGIONAL PARTY LIST1) High degree of proportionality (most proportional system used in the UK)
2) Simple to understand
3) Every vote has equal value
4) Helps smaller parties
5) Closed list - voters only have control over which party is in government, but not which members
6) Large constituencies --> little chance of accountability and no local connection between members and voters - 8ARGUMENTS FOR KEEPING FPTP1) Simple to use
2) Quick - election results are obtained just after a few hours, new governments within 24 hours)
3) Keeps out extremist parties
4) Keeps a constituency link
5) Produces a strong government - clear majorities and can achieve set goals and fulfill manifesto promises
6) Produces a stable government - governments are not undermined by coalition deals, they can serve the full term in office
7) Clear accountability
8) Poor alternatives on offer
9) No demand for change (5th May 2011 - AV referendum had a turnout of 42.2% and 68% of the electorate voted against introducing AV)
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- FlashCards sobre Elections, criado por Jack A em 03-06-2017.
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- Jack A
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