Majoritarian systems- FPTP, SV and AV

Two party systems
1. Only the two main parties have realistic chance of taking power
  1. In 2015 they got 2/3 of the vote but 80% of the seats
2. Favours parties with strong nationwide support
  1. Disadvantages parties with thinly spread support
    1. ie UKIP v SNP
3. Little incentive for a faction within a main party to breakaway and form a new party
4. Disguises the advance of multi- party politics
Winner's bonus
1. Landslide effect
2. Exaggerates the the performance of the most popular party
  1. Labour party landslide 1997/2001
  2. Conservative party landslide 1983/1987
3. A relatively small lead often translates into a substantial lead in seats
  1. In 2015 37% turned into 51% of the seats for the tories whereas Labour got 30% and 36% of the seats
Bias to SNP
1. Because they only stand in Scotland they have concentrated support. This is a big bonus in FPTP
  1. because thinly spread voting doesn't win seats
2. The seats in Scotland are on average smaller than seats in the rest of the country. They need less votes to win
The wrong side can win
1. In 1951 the tories got more seats but the Labour party got more votes but it's fair because....
  1. In Feb 1974 Labour got more seats despite the Conservatives getting more votes
Discrimination against third/ smaller parties
1. No rewards for coming second or third
2. Parties with thinly spread support lose out
  1. UKIP over 900,000 votes in 2010, but 0% seat share
  2. Lib Dems 23% of the vote but only won a single seat
  3. Green Party over 1.5 million votes but only one MP
  4. In 2015 UKIP obtained 12.6% of the vote and only won one seat
Single Party government
1. Coalition &minority governments are quite rare
  1. Only Feb 1974 and May 2010 general elections have not given a majority for one party

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Majoritarian systems- FPTP, SV and AV

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	Created by Yasmine King over 7 years ago