Unit 1 politics

-Single member consituencies

- Plurality system

- 646 constituencies

- Cross in box of favourite candidate+ candidate w/ most votes wins

- Used in the UK for election of MP's to house of Commons

- Absolute majority of all votes cast in election not needed to win

- 2010 parliment election using FPTP = Hung parliament

• Simple to understand- doesn't exclude anyone vs. Huge public support not needed
• Quick + easy to work out who wins vs. Tactical voting- voting against the most disliked, rather than most prefered+ wasted votes that dont count
•  2 party system- stable party that can deliver manifesto vs. doesn't represent minorities

- Additional members system = hybrid system of FPTP+ Party List                                      - 1st vote= constituency mp  2nd vote= Party list

% of votes= overall no. of first ballot results and second ballot results put together

To reduce lack of proportionality of FPTP,Used in Scottish Parliament, National welsh assembly+ London Assembly elections                                                              

 •Broadly proportional ( no. of seats won = c. no. of seats received                                      •Creates an accountable single candidate for each constituency      •At least one of the voter’s votes will count ( no ‘wasted votes’)  •Support - candidate w/out concern over letting down a preferred party.   MPs accountable to Party more than constituents              Tensions made between MPs (elected via FPTP) and  AMs (elected by AMS, a new system and therefore the ‘easy route’ as support for party as well as  own votes are considered).  ‘Overhang seats’ – a party gets more seats due to constituency votes than are deserved through proportional vote. Extra seats are given  to other parties to rebalance in Germany and New Zealand – but more tension  is created through this!                                                               Complex system