Pros and Cons of FPTP, AMS, STV, and SV Systems (Edexcel A-Level Politics): Revision Notes
3.1.2 Pros and Cons of FPTP, AMS, STV, and SV Systems
Advantages of First-Past-The-Post (FPTP)
Simplicity
- FPTP is straightforward for voters to understand and for officials to administer. Voters mark an 'X' next to their preferred candidate, and the candidate with the most votes wins.
Example: UK General Elections. The clear and simple ballot design contributes to high levels of voter understanding and participation.
Strong and Stable Government
- FPTP often leads to single-party majority governments, which can enact policies and make decisions without the need for coalition compromises.
Example: UK General Election 2019. The Conservative Party won a clear majority, providing a stable government capable of implementing its Brexit agenda.
Direct Representation
- Each constituency elects one MP, ensuring a direct link between constituents and their representative. This can enhance accountability and local representation.
- Example: MP surgeries and local issues. Constituents can directly contact their MP to raise concerns or seek assistance.
Exclusion of Extremist Parties
- FPTP tends to exclude smaller and extremist parties from gaining significant representation, as they struggle to win individual constituencies.
Example: UKIP's performance in UK General Elections. Despite significant national vote shares in 2015, UKIP won only one seat, limiting its influence in Parliament.
Clear Outcomes
- Election results are usually clear and quick to determine, providing immediate outcomes without prolonged coalition negotiations.
Example: UK General Election 2019. The results were quickly announced, allowing the formation of a new government without delay.
Disadvantages of First-Past-The-Post (FPTP)
Disproportionality
- FPTP can lead to significant disparities between the percentage of votes received and the percentage of seats won by parties, often benefiting larger parties and disadvantaging smaller ones.
Example: UK General Election 2019. The Conservative Party won 43.6% of the vote but 56.2% of the seats, while the Liberal Democrats won 11.5% of the vote but only 1.7% of the seats.
Wasted Votes
- Votes for losing candidates, and excess votes for winning candidates, do not contribute to the overall result, leading to a high number of 'wasted' votes.
Example: Labour votes in safe Conservative seats. Many votes cast for Labour in constituencies where the Conservative candidate wins by a large margin have no impact on the outcome.
Minority Rule
- It is possible for a party to win a majority of seats without a majority of the popular vote, resulting in 'minority rule.'
Example: UK General Election 2015. The Conservative Party formed a majority government with 36.9% of the vote.
Regional Imbalances
- FPTP can exacerbate regional disparities, with parties dominating certain areas and being underrepresented in others, leading to uneven representation.
Example: SNP dominance in Scotland. In the 2019 General Election, the SNP won 48 out of 59 Scottish seats with 45% of the vote, while other parties' votes were less effectively translated into seats.
Limited Voter Choice
- Voters may feel compelled to vote tactically rather than for their preferred candidate, to prevent their least preferred candidate from winning.
Example: Tactical voting in UK General Elections. Some voters choose the Labour candidate in a marginal seat to prevent a Conservative win, despite preferring a third party like the Liberal Democrats.
Summary
First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) is the electoral system used for UK General Elections. It offers simplicity, direct representation, and typically results in strong, stable governments. However, it also suffers from issues like disproportionality, wasted votes, and regional imbalances, which can undermine the fairness and representative nature of elections. Understanding these advantages and disadvantages is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness and democratic nature of FPTP as an electoral system.
Additional Member System (AMS)
Advantages
Proportionality
- AMS combines the FPTP system with a proportional representation component. This ensures that while some seats are filled by constituency winners, others are allocated to reflect the overall vote share, leading to a more proportional outcome.
Example: Scottish Parliament elections 2021. The SNP won 47.7% of the constituency vote and 40.3% of the regional vote, resulting in 64 seats out of 129, which is roughly proportional to their vote share.
Voter Choice
- Voters have two votes: one for a candidate in their constituency and one for a party in the regional list. This allows them to support a preferred local candidate and a different party if they choose.
Example: Welsh Senedd elections 2021. Voters could support a local Labour candidate while giving their regional vote to the Green Party.
Balancing Representation
- It helps smaller parties gain representation without entirely disadvantaging larger parties. This can result in a more balanced and representative parliament.
Example: Scottish Parliament elections 2021. The Greens received 8 seats through the regional list, allowing for more diverse representation.
Coalition Governments
- AMS often results in coalition governments, which can lead to more consensual politics and policies that reflect a broader spectrum of public opinion.
Example: Welsh Government 2021. Labour, short of a majority, entered into cooperation with Plaid Cymru.
Disadvantages
Complexity
- The dual voting system can be confusing for voters, leading to spoiled ballots or misinterpretation of how their vote will be counted.
Example: Scottish Parliament elections 2016. There was an increase in the number of rejected regional ballots due to incorrect marking.
Two Classes of Representatives
- There can be tensions between constituency representatives and regional list members, with the latter often seen as having less legitimacy.
Example: Criticisms in the Welsh Senedd, where regional members are sometimes perceived as less accountable.
Possibility of Overhang Seats
- Overhang seats occur when a party wins more constituency seats than it would be entitled to based on its proportion of the vote, complicating the proportionality.
Example: German Bundestag elections, where overhang seats can lead to an increase in the total number of seats in parliament.
Potential for Tactical Voting
- Voters might engage in tactical voting, using their constituency vote for one party and their regional vote for another to maximise their preferred outcomes.
Example: Scottish Parliament elections, where some voters split their votes between the SNP in constituencies and the Greens in the regional list to ensure broader representation for independence-supporting parties.
Single Transferable Vote (STV)
Advantages
Proportional Representation
- STV ensures that seats are allocated in proportion to the number of votes received, reducing the discrepancy between the percentage of votes and the percentage of seats.
Example: Northern Ireland Assembly elections 2022. Parties received seats in closer alignment to their share of first-preference votes.
Voter Choice
- Voters can rank candidates in order of preference, which allows for a greater expression of voter choice and reduces the need for tactical voting.
Example: Irish General Elections 2020. Voters can support multiple candidates from the same or different parties.
Reduction in Wasted Votes
- Since voters can transfer their votes, fewer votes are wasted, and more voters feel represented.
Example: Scottish local elections. Votes for lower-ranked candidates can transfer, ensuring that nearly all votes contribute to the election of representatives.
Encourages Broad Appeal
- Candidates need a broad base of support to gain transfers from other candidates, which encourages them to appeal to a wider range of voters.
Example: Northern Ireland Assembly elections, where candidates often seek to be the second or third preference of voters from other communities or parties.
Disadvantages
Complexity
- The process of ranking candidates and the subsequent vote counting is complex and can be difficult for voters to understand.
Example: Irish General Elections. The counting process can take several days due to the complexity of transfers and quotas.
Long Counting Process
- The vote counting process can be lengthy and complex, delaying the final results.
Example: Northern Ireland Assembly elections. Counting can take several days, causing uncertainty and potential political instability.
Potential for Donkey Voting
- Some voters might simply rank candidates in the order they appear on the ballot (donkey voting), which can distort the true preference of the electorate.
Example: Australian Senate elections, where preferential voting is used and donkey voting has been observed.
Intra-Party Competition
- STV can lead to significant competition within parties, as candidates from the same party vie for votes, potentially leading to internal divisions.
Example: Irish General Elections, where party candidates may compete aggressively against each other for transfers.
Supplementary Vote (SV)
Advantages
- Winner Claims an Overall Majority: Ensures that the winning candidate has broad support.
- Simple for Voters: Easy to understand and straightforward to use.
- Expression of Support: Voters can express strong support for their preferred candidate.
Disadvantages
- Promotes Two-Party System: Often excludes third parties from winning seats more than FPTP.
- Excludes Smaller Parties: Third parties are less likely to win seats compared to FPTP.
Additional Information
Jenkins Commission
- Jenkins Commission: Proposed the use of AV+ instead of FPTP. However, these proposals had little support and were rejected.
AMS and English Parties
- AMS was adopted in the Scottish Parliament to prevent English