...all' and usually gives a clear majority both at constituency and national level. This means that a candidate in a constituency only needs one more vote than the nearest rival to win the seat. Similarly, political parties only need to win one more seat in the House of Commons to have a majority. Advantages of FPTP There is very little chance of extremist parties being elected to Parliament under FPTP because they are unlikely to gain enough votes in any one constituency. Generally the results of elections using FPTP can be calculated quickly. When necessary, this makes the transfer of power from one party to another much easier. Disadvantages of FPTP The main criticism of FPTP is that the number of votes cast for a party in general elections is not accurately reflected in the number of seats won. An example of this was the 1997 election when the Conservatives gained 18% of the vote in Scotland but not one seat. This is mirrored at constituency level, where the winning candidate may have received only one third of the votes cast. Indeed, a government may be elected on a minority vote, as happened in 1974 when Labour won the general election on the number of seats gained but the Conservatives had a larger share of the vote across the country. Smaller parties are not fairly treated under FPTP. Although they may have a sizeable national support across the country, they do not get a proportional number of MPs because there are not enough votes concentrated in constituencies...
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...both at constituency and national level. This means that a candidate in a constituency only needs one more vote than the nearest rival to win the seat. Similarly, political parties only need to win one more seat in the House of Commons to have a majority. Advantages of FPTP; There is very little chance of extremist parties being elected to Parliament under FPTP because they are unlikely to gain enough votes in any one constituency. Generally the results of elections using FPTP can be calculated quickly. When necessary, this makes the transfer of power from one party to another much easier. The 1997 and 2001 elections were clear evidence of this. Disadvantages of FPTP; The main criticism of FPTP is that the number of votes cast for a party in general elections is not accurately reflected in the number of seats won. An example of this was the 1997 election when the Conservatives gained 18% of the vote in Scotland but not one seat. This is mirrored at constituency level, where the winning candidate may have received only one third of the votes cast. Indeed, a government may be elected on a minority vote, as happened in February 1974 when Labour won the general election on the number of seats gained but the Conservatives had a larger share of the vote across the country. Smaller parties are not fairly treated under FPTP. Although they may have a sizeable national support across the country, they do not get a proportional number of MPs because there are not...
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...a candidate in a constituency only needs one more vote than the nearest rival to win the seat. This is similar to political parties in general elections as they only need to win one more seat in the House of Commons to have a majority. The advantages of using FTPT is there is very little chance of extremist parties being elected to Parliament under because they are unlikely to gain enough votes to come into power in any one constituency. Also, generally the results of elections using FPTP can be calculated quickly. So, this makes it easier to transfer power to another party if it becomes necessary. One of the main criticisms of FPTP is that the number of votes for a party in general elections is not accurately shown in the number of seats won. An example of this could be the 1997 election when the Conservatives gained 18% of the vote in Scotland but not one but didn’t win a seat. This is can be seen at constituency level, where the winning candidate may have only received one third of the votes cast. So, a government could be elected on a minority vote. This happened in 1974 when Labour won the general election on the number of seats they gained but the Conservatives had a larger share of the vote across the country. This would show poor representation of the population in the government that was formed. Another criticism could be that, smaller parties are not fairly treated under FPTP. Although they may have large...
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...Should the Electoral system used in general elections in the UK be reformed? The election system that we currently have in the UK is a lot like marmite, you either love it or you hate it… There are many different arguments for and against this system, however people forget that within getting rid of the First Past the Post system, you will then need to then replace it. This then poses the vital question of which is the best fitting system and should we really change tradition? First past the post is a simple plurality system which requires the plurality of votes to win: that is one more vote than the second candidate. There is no requirement to obtain the votes cast. In contests involving three or more candidates, the winner may fall well short of an overall majority. MPs are elected in a single member constituencies. Each of the 650 constituencies in the UK elects one representative to the House of Commons. There has been a long running debate on this issue, as there are other electoral systems being currently used I the UK for other things for example the Supplementary vote used the elections of the London Mayer. People argue that one of the other electoral systems could replace the First past the Post, in May 2011 a referendum was held asking the public if they would want to change to the system to AV. This was a resounding ‘no’, which makes the question of a possible reform purely hypothetical at this moment in time. Was this because people do in fact like the FPTP system...
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...is an election system? In my eyes it’s a means of finding the most popular outcome by converting votes casted in an election into government seats. However there countless different types of election systems and the two which we are going to look into and scrutinise right now is the PR-STV system and the Single Member Plurality system. Before delving further into the above controversial statement we must fully understand the meaning and results of both of these systems, beginning with the PR-STV (Proportional Representation-Single Transferable Vote) system. The PR-STV system is by far the least popular of these two systems in terms of countries it is used in, only being used in Ireland and Malta to help elect our (and their) National Parties. It runs on a basis of casting your vote in order of most preferred to least preferred. A quota is then announced and the those who reach the quota is deemed elected and their excess votes are put back in the system and goes towards the next electable candidate on the ballot sheet. The Single Member Plurality system (sometimes known as the ‘first past the post system’) differs greatly and is a lot less complicated than the PR-STV system. The candidate(s) with the most number of votes is simply declared the winner. Both these systems have a number of pros and cons to them, but which one has the most advantages? Which one is most effective? The PR-STV System The PR-STV system was introduced as the Irish electoral system in 1922 and...
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...elections The government is accountable to the people The rule of law Freedom of the media Modern democracies have: Political tolerance Peaceful transition of power Free, fair and regular elections The government is accountable to the people The rule of law Freedom of the media What makes a government legitimate? * Referendums (‘Yes’ answers) * High turnout * Free, fair and regular elections * Lack of dissent * Displays of public support How legitimate is the UK? Legitimate | Not legitimate | * House of Commons is elected | * Electoral system unfair and distorts political representation (FPTP) | * Government elected with mandate to govern | * Every government elected has only achieved the minority of the popular vote | * House of Lords has traditional authority and political influence is widely recognised | * House of Lords members are not elected and so do not have the people’s consent | Direct democracy: * The people themselves directly make the important decisions which affect them * The people are directly consulted on political decisions * Action taken by the people shapes political decisions (via protests, e-petitions,...
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...current electoral system used in general elections in the UK, whereby elections are split in to constituencies, and within these areas, constituents vote for an MP to represent them in Westminster. There is an ongoing debate as to whether this system is legitimately and democratically correct, and whether it serves purely the interests of the larger parties and reproduces a two party system, rather than accounting for the minorities. It is suggested that FPTP creates voter apathy, over exaggerates votes for larger parties and excludes minorities, although, all of these arguments can be countered to some extent. In my opinion, general elections are an opportunity to ensure the will of the people is reflected in the government of the day and FPTP does not serve this purpose because it simply follows the tyranny of the majority. Firstly, FPTP encourages voter apathy, which is becoming a pressing issue in British politics, it does this because once a majority is formed in a constituency and the MP is officially elected- the rest of the votes are binned. This creates a disincentive to vote, perhaps because people voting for minority parties do not see the point and regard it as a waste of time, or out of disrespect for the system. Apathy was evidenced in the 2015 election, which had a turnout of 66.6%, a measly percentage compared to the Scottish Independence referendum turnout of 85%. However, there is no evidence to suggest that apathy is a direct result of the current electoral system...
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...Unibersidad De Manila 659-A Justice Cecilia Munoz-Palma Street, Ermita, Manila, Metro Manila Parliamentary: A Good Form of Government Aira C. Adao UC-48 Prof. Marvin Ignacio Politics and Governance January 20, 2015 I. Title: Parliamentary: A Good Form of Government II. Abstract HYPOTHESIS 1. What is Parliamentary Government? 2. What are the types of Parliamentary Government? 3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Parliamentary System? 4. What countries are implementing Parliamentary System? 5. What is the difference between Parliamentary System and Presidential System? OBJECTIVES * To point out the good sides of the Parliamentary system. * To discuss the process of legislation of the Parliamentary Government. * To tackle the important topic about Parliamentary system. * To form a good information to the readers about the essence of Parliamentary system. SIGNIFICANCE * This term paper gives information to the reader about the system of Parliamentary Government. * This paper will benefit the ones who search information about the essence of Parliamentary system. III. Introduction Parliament, (from Old French: parlement; Latin: parliamentum) the original legislative assembly of England, Scotland, or Ireland and successively of Great Britain and the United Kingdom; legislatures in some countries that were once British colonies are also known as parliaments. The British Parliament, often referred...
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... SECTION 1: ELECTIONS & VOTING Primaries: * Election to select a parties candidacy for president * Open primary: A primary for any registered voter, democrat or republican. E.G. Texas * Closed: A primary for democrats and a primary for Republicans. (Separate one’s) * Invisible primary: candidates try to gain support and finance in the year before the primary * Proportional primary: awarded delegates in proportion to votes they get * Winner-takes-all: Win the most votes and you take all the states delegates Advantages: * Increased level of participation from ordinary votes (30% in 2008) * Increased interest from people * Increased choice of candidates (14 in 2008) * Removing power from party bosses Disadvantages: * Turnout is usually low * Voters are usually unrepresentative of normal voters (tend to be wealthier, old and better educated) * Process is far too long and expensive (Obama in 2008 announced his running 332 before the first primary * Fails to test presidential qualities Increased importance of primaries: * Really the only route to become a parties President Caucuses: * A meeting for the selection of a candidate * Usually held in states that are geographically large but thinly populated (Iowa, North Dakota, Nevada) * Turnout is usually pretty low, and usual favour ideological candidates National party conventions: Formal functions: * Choose presidential candidate. (Need majority...
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...that there be a compromise between the vote of Congress and the vote of the people. There are advantages and disadvantages that come along with the Electoral College being in place. First there are several advantages. The first is the fact that a President can never be elected simply by targeting a certain group of people or gaining popularity. Early on in the campaign working towards popularity may help get a candidate to the next round, but the Electoral College helps keep the selection more than just a popularity vote. The Electoral College is in place to make sure that the election does not become a...
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...believes that the Senate as an unelected institution lacks democratic legitimacy because the public is unable to hold senators responsible for their decisions (Barnes & al., 39). It also lacks democratic legitimacy since it is believed that the prime minister appoints senators because they had a contribution in the prime minister’s party thus making the appointment bias. However, abolishing the Senate may cause certain disastrous events because it would put the business of Canada in the absolute control of the House of Commons, and not only that, but in the absolute control of the majority of that House (Joyal,...
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...increasing, racial equality has not yet fully been achieved in the USA. There were many formal attempts to establish civil rights in the USA from 1950s onwards. Before this the passage of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments created to guarantee the rights African-Americans had been ignored by many states, especially in the deep South, meaning that for most blacks racial equality was a distant dream. However, the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and the creation of affirmative action policies under JFK began to change things. For the first time government policy began to make up for years of historical discrimination against the African-American population. Affirmative action ensured that members of all previous disadvantaged minorities were given a head start, specifically in areas like education and deployment. With all federally funded projects from the 60s onwards applying policies of affirmative action disadvantaged groups finally began to become equal with whites in terms of employment. However, these policies did attract criticism with many saying they were a form of ‘reverse discrimination’. Despite this obvious criticism of affirmative action policies, and the questionable use of quotas in this practice, it is an obvious reality that racial equality...
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...Introduction : For the past decades Britain is becoming increasingly diverse country. Ethnic minorities make up one third of the population. According to the 2001 Census 92% of the total population are identified as white and approximately 7.9 % of the population (ONS2001) belong to ethnic minority. Even though some improvement has been made in the labour market during the past 40 years, researches prove that ethnic minority workers are experiencing high levels of unemployment and lack of suitable employment opportunities. If compared to british or other white , the ethnic minorities in the Uk are mainly engaged in non professional low paid jobs. However some researches prove that not all of the ethnic minority workers are suffering from lower level of employment. Indian and Chinese groups for example have high levels of employment in professional jobs. Other groups are not showing the same tendency. Pakistani and Bangladeshi are mainly doing unstable and low paid jobs.Black Carribean, Black Affrican and other Black groups are standing somewhere in between. The question here is what is missing for those people to be in equal position with their conterparts? The aim of this review is to outline specific career development programmes for both ethnic minority workers and for workers in gender untypical occupations. The focus will be on the position of unemployed ethnic minorities in the labour market and how labour market training programmes help for better labour market opportunities...
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...4. Outline the arguments for and against the policy of multiculturalism. What are the advantages and disadvantages of officially promoting multiculturalism? 4. Outline the arguments for and against the policy of multiculturalism. What are the advantages and disadvantages of officially promoting multiculturalism? Background Multiculturalism in Canada is the ideology that all people have equal opportunities and rights regardless of their races, religions and, cultural backgrounds. The Canadian government during the 1970s and 1980s adopted the official policy of multiculturalism in Canada. It originated from the 1960s Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism. In 1971, Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau declared that the country would adopt multicultural policy. In 1982, multiculturalism was recognized by section 27 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Canadian Multiculturalism Act was then passed by Prime Minister Brain Mulroney in 1988. The Act has two fundamental principles: all citizens have equal rights and it promotes all communities of different origins. (Kobayashi, 1983) Benefits of Multiculturalism policy in Canada Economic Benefits Multiculturalism helps integrate visible minorities into the labour market. Canada has experienced more participation of members of minority groups in different business sectors, such as transportation, communications, and banking. The increased participation is the result of the government's effort...
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...distorted by politicians who claim to “represent them”. Another advantage is that referendums actually help to create a better informed, more educated and more politically engaged electorate, which gives the members of the public a strong incentive to cast there vote. Also another advantage is that referendums reduce the power of the government, because the government has less control over their outcome than it does over parliament, and therefore citizens are protected against the danger of over mighty government. And a final advantage to referendums is that there is always a clear-cut answer either yes or no. However there are disadvantages to referendums as well such as the general public which is usually ill informed, poorly educate and lacks political experience. Therefore it leads the public into making ill-informed wrong decisions. Another disadvantage is that a referendum weakens parliaments, as decisions are not made on the basis of careful...
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