...Proportional representation is a form of voting system, where the amount of votes gained by a party are proportional to the number of seats they gain in the House of Commons. There are four types of proportional systems which are: Additional member system, Single transferable vote system, party list and also supplementary vote. AMS is used for elections to the Scottish parliament, welsh assembly, northern Ireland assembly and even the greater London assembly, in fact it is the second most substantial voting system in the UK. STV has been used for local elections in Northern Ireland since 1973 and is also the system that elected the Northern Ireland Assembly ever since it was used for this purpose in 1998. There are two types of party list which are closed list and open list. Open list is where the electorate pick candidates from a list given to them by each of the parties and then an individual candidate is elected due to them having the popular vote. Closed list is where the electorate votes for a party and then the list as a whole. The candidates are then elected depending on the order they look on the list, this is done until all seats are filled. SV is where there are two columns on the ballot form, the electorate has two fill in two parts to this piece of paper – first they will have to mark their first choice and then mark their seconds choice with an ‘x’, however they are not required to make a second choice if they do not want to. Proportional representation tends to...
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...The first past the post electoral system is the procedure in which electorates in their individual constituency vote for a party, the winners are generally the party that receives the most votes as well as reaches a fifty per cent majority of the votes; the remainder of the votes are discarded. The first past the post system (FPTP) is used in various countries; prime examples are the general elections in the UK and the presidential elections in USA. Although the first past the post system has received general acceptance, there has been many debates to how democratic the process is and if it should be replaced with a more “fairer” and “democratic” electoral system… Firstly, the main issue within the first past the post system is the democratic persona it creates; due to the fact that only the votes of the successful party are counted and the remaining votes (no matter how close) are discounted therefore making it based on a “winner takes all” system and in effect, undermining the remaining candidates as well as electorates whose votes are discounted. This can be seen evidently in the 2010 general elections as although labour had won 258 seats, conservatives had won 307 seats therefore stating conservatives had received more votes than all other parties and so their votes are the only one that count whilst all other votes are redundant. Systems involving proportional representation, such as the Additional Member System (AMS) are more democratic as electorates receive two votes...
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...Election Process Voting system There are 4 main voting systems: First-past-the-post system Supplementary vote system Additional vote system Single Transferable vote system First-past-the-post system This system is used in elections for the House of Commons, there is only one seat per each constituency e.g. East Sussex, West Sussex, Kent. People can vote for one candidate of their choice. They can’t vote for more than one candidate or more than once. Therefore, the candidate who gets the most votes is being elected. Main advantages of this system are that it produces more stable governments with little need for coalition and there is close tie between MP and constituency. Main Disadvantages of this voting system are that proportion of candidates for a party elected is not equal to votes cast. Proportional Representation (PR) system Opponents of First-past-the-post system claim that Promotional Representational system is fairer. The main advantage of this system is to ensure that the number of candidates elected for a party is in proportion to the number of votes cast. This system gives a better chance to smaller parties. The main disadvantage of this system is that it may lead to weak government as coalitions are often created and it increases possibility of huge arguments forming in the government, which then might cause government to fall and then another election will be needed. Supplementary vote (SV) system. This system is used for elections...
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...‘THE FIRST PAST THE POST SYSTEM USED IN ELECTIONS TO THE WESTMINSTER PARLIAMENT SHOULD BE REPLACED WITH A MORE PROPORTIONAL SYSTEM. DISCUSS’ The UK General Elections currently uses the first past the post system as a means of voting in government. Over the years this form of electing government has come under scrutiny and many have questioned whether or not this electoral system is proportional and whether there should be an electoral reform for a more proportional voting system. Under first past the post, the voter puts a cross on the ballot paper, under their preferred candidate; the candidate with the majority of votes wins government. Those in favour of the FPTP system argue that it provides a strong government in that, the government of the day maintains the majority of the House of Commons, making it easier to implement and legislate laws. By contrast, other voting systems may likely force parties to form a coalition; making government appear weak and unstable because both parties seek legislative support from one another and often have ideological differences. Those in favour also claim that the FPTP system establishes a strong rapport between representatives and their constituencies, as MP’s elected look to serve the interests of the people. However, some question whether MP’s fulfil their duties and whether they represent the people or their political parties. The FPTP system has been criticised for its lack of proportionality, many argue that this system brings...
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...reform process underway in the UK. You should examine the proposed changes under a number of headings including but not limited to the electoral system, the House of Lords, and open government. You must discuss why potential reform should take place, its observable implications and consider comparative examples where the changes already exist. Elections are an integral figure in any countries political system. Elections are also important symbolically in most competitive party systems, legitimizing a country’s political system in the eyes of it citizens. They offer a means of participating in politics, elections also give a feeling that they are exercising choices about who should represent them in the national parliament and about who should form the next government. One common debate of which Party System is best to run a Nation has long been argued by politicians and also which is the electoral system that governs the conduct of elections. With elections, change or reform can always be seen and in one case the United Kingdom is a perfect example, in May 2010 the first united coalition in the Britain since World War 2 and now currently there is an on-going debate for political reform in the UK regarding the current electoral system. Would new government bring closure to the drama of reform in The House of Lords? Or would the unelected house continue to cause up-set? The conservatives aimed to bring more transparency to the government of the UK in their manifesto while the Liberal...
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...To what extent do different electoral systems produce different outcomes? In this essay I will assess the outcomes of Additional Member system, First Past the Post system and the Closed Party List system. The F-P-T-P system is used to elect the members of House of Commons and local government in England and Wales. Voters select candidates, and do so by marking his or her name with an ‘X’ on the ballot paper. This reflects the principle of ‘one person, one vote’. The Additional Members system is used in Scottish parliament, Welsh assembly, and Northern Ireland Assembly and Greater London assembly. It is a mixed system made up of F-P-T-P and party-list elements. The Regional party list (or the closed party list) is used to elect the European Parliament. There are number of large multimember constituencies. Political parties compile lists of candidates to place before the electorate, in descending order of preference. Electors vote for parties not for candidates, parties are allocated seats in direct proportion to the votes they gain in each regional constituency. In this essay I will argue that electoral systems produce different outcomes. One of the ways in which first-past-the-post voting system produces different outcomes to other parties is that it leads to no clear correlation between number of vote’s casts and seats won. For example in 2005 general election Labour received 40.7% of the votes but won 413 seats and also during the 2010 general elections Conservatives won...
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...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 or because...
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...Used As technology has evolved there have become more ways to cast a vote than ever before. Most people are familiar with the traditional way of going to a polling office (usually a church, school or community centre that has changed purposes for the day) to go into a voting booth and place a cross on a ballot slip next to the name of the candidate you wish to vote for. First Past the Post (FPTP) The British electoral system is based on the FPTP system. This system is very clear-cut and definitive, the candidate with the highest number of votes in a constituency wins. In order to vote in a FPTP system you simply mark a cross (X) next to the name of the candidate you are choosing. Alternative Vote (AV) Voters must rank the candidates on the ballot paper in order of preference. If a candidate receives 50 per cent or more of first preferences then they are elected. If not, then the candidate with the lowest number of first choices is eliminated and their second choices are redistributed to the other candidates. This process continues until one candidate has an absolute majority. Proportional Representation Publicity and Electioneering Activities It is important that a candidate becomes well known in the area they are hoping to represent and to this end they will often...
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...Electoral Systems in the UK There are two main types of electoral system in the UK: First Past the Post (FPTP) & Proportional Representation (PR) First Past the Post (FPTP); FPTP is the voting system used for the election of MPs to 'seats' in the UK Parliament. It is a system in which the 'winner takes 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. 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...
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...BTEC PUBLIC SERVICES ASSESSMENT 2 Understanding the Democratic Election process in the UK Introduction: What is UK Election? A formal and organized choice by vote of a person for a political office or other position in UK is called Election. According to fixed term parliament act on 15th September, 2011 the next election will be held on 7th of May 2015.The act provides for general elections to be held on the first Thursday in May every five years. There are two provisions that trigger an election other than at five year intervals. A motion of no confidence is passed in Her Majesty's Government by a simple majority and 14 days elapses without the House passing a confidence motion in any new Government formed A motion for a general election is agreed by two thirds of the total number of seats in the Commons including vacant seats (currently 434 out of 650) Previous to this act, the duration of a Parliament was set at five years, although many were dissolved before that, at the request of the Prime Minister to the Queen. ●text: http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/elections-and-voting/general/ Importance of Election Education: Instructors, counsellors and others who work with young people play an important role in Educating new and future voters about the electoral process. For this reason it is important that those who work with youth do what they can to educate youth about the democratic process. In the 2005 British Columbia general election, only 35% of eligible...
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...First past the post is a simple plurality electoral system. In order to secure victory in a constituency a candidate has to gain a minimum of a one vote advantage over the nearest rival. This system is not proportional which means that for every constituency there is only one MP representing them in Parliament. Even though the FPTP system has come under criticism, it remains as the electoral system used for Westminster and local government elections, and its advantages are the following. The FPTP system is very simple and easy to understand. The voters only have to write an “X” to indicate their choice. There is no need to rank candidates or to make more than one preference, in contrast to other more complicated systems where confusion arises. For example, there are a huge number of spoilt papers under various types of Proportional Representation as a result of voter confusion. In Scotland when STV was used there were thousands of spoilt ballot papers. However it could be argued that the advantage of ease is overrated as the electorate could be prepared enough to cope with another system as they do in other countries such as Germany or Switzerland. Speed is another lauded attribute of FPTP. We can get the results in constituencies just hours after the polls close and a verdict on who will secure the ability to govern alone before the next dawn breaks. By contrast other electoral systems can take days to calculate as votes are redistributed. In the Republic of Ireland it...
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...Discuss the advantages for replacing the current system for electing MPs with another one. There are two main types of electoral systems in the UK. They are First Past the Post (FPTP) and Proportional Representation (PR) First Past the Post is the voting system used to elect MPs to 'seats' in Parliament. In this system 'winner takes all' and the system also usually gives a clear majority both in a constituency or at national level. This means that 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...
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...How well does the House of Commons carry out its functions?(40) The House of Commons is the lower chamber of the legislature, and it is composed of 650 members of parliament (MP’s) who are voted by the constituencies electorate. Its main functions are representation, scrutiny and be legitimate. I believe it carries out these functions very well. Holding the government to account (scrutiny) is arguably, the most important function of the lower house. Scrutiny is carried out by 3 main methods; Prime Ministerial Questions (PMQ), Opposition days and Departmental Select Committees. PMQ’S occur every Wednesday afternoon; and they enable ministers from the current government and also the opposition to post questions to the Prime minister; they aim to scrutinise the works of government and see how effective it is. Departmental select committees are groups that examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the individual government. There are 19 committees, each one representing their expertise. Most committees have a chair who is seen as having notable knowledge and understanding on the specific area, for example Ed Smith CBE for health committee. They do research into the policies made, and then pose questions and thoughts to the ministers, and scrutinise them. Opposition days, whereby they have 20 each session (year), are another method, whereby they can determine the agenda of the day (Labour is the opposition now). Furthermore, the most important feature of holding...
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...the First Past the Post System for General Elections The first past the post electoral system is the procedure in which electorates in their individual constituency vote for a party, the winners are generally the party that receives the most votes as well as reaches a fifty per cent majority of the votes; the remainder of the votes are discarded. The first past the post system (FPTP) is used in various countries; prime examples are the general elections in the UK and the presidential elections in USA. Although the first past the post system has received general acceptance, there has been many debates to how democratic the process is and if it should be replaced with a more “fairer” and “democratic” electoral system… Firstly, the main issue within the first past the post system is the democratic persona it creates; due to the fact that only the votes of the successful party are counted and the remaining votes (no matter how close) are discounted therefore making it based on a “winner takes all” system and in effect, undermining the remaining candidates as well as electorates whose votes are discounted. This can be seen evidently in the 2010 general elections as although labour had won 258 seats, conservatives had won 307 seats therefore stating conservatives had received more votes than all other parties and so their votes are the only one that count whilst all other votes are redundant. Systems involving proportional representation, such as the Additional Member System (AMS)...
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...within the party and wanted to maintain the status quo or more accurately didn’t want Labour in. Breaking away from the bottom heavy UK Parliament in London would not happen for Scotland until 1999, so what happened? By the late 1970’s early 1980’s the people of Great Britain had been experiencing a barrage of difficulties in the form of raised unemployment and inflation, an economy which had plummeted, strikes and threatened...
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