Elections model answers
- EU elections turnout fallen overall from 61% - 43%
1) Outline the workings of the single transferable vote electoral system
STV’s main function is to avoid wasted votes and acts to transfer votes to achieve
this
- voters rank their preferences in numerical order – ordinal voting
- multi member constituencies usually contain 5-9 elected representatives
- voters can choose and rank candidates from the same party
- to gain election a candidate has to reach a quota of votes, this is calculated after
all the votes has been cast: Droop quota
- redistribution occurs as those with excess first preferences over the quota are elected
and their second choice is allocated. Then the lowest candidate is also removed
redistributing their second preference
2) What is meant by the term ‘party system’?
-- party system examines political parties in the political structure and attempts to
place them into various categories or types
-- the party system attempts to define the relationships within the political structure
as to how parties function and operate and importantly how close they are to
achieving governing status/power
-- a two party system is where only two of the parties out of many contest the
election and have any chance of gaining governmental power. The government will
constantly change between these two parties
-- a two and a half party system is where there are two major parties who can have a
significant take in government plus a minor third party – this is similar to the current
UK system
-- multi party system is where there are many parties who genuinely contest the
elections which will usually result in coalition as the popularity of parties is more
evenly spread not leaving a majority
3) Describe three different elections regularly held in the UK
elections occur in the UK across quite a wide spectrum and are a key component of
the UK system of representative democracy.
- General elections occur every 5 years and serve to provide members of Parliament
to all geographical locations in the UK. They also serve to determine the government
of the UK and are seen as the most important elections in the UK – reflected by the
turnout
- local elections provide representation at a lower level and elect councillors who
administer certain services in the locality eg Green council elected in Brighton and
Hove
- Elections to the devolved assemblies provide representatives for regional
government in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales
- EU elections turnout fallen overall from 61% - 43%
1) Outline the workings of the single transferable vote electoral system
STV’s main function is to avoid wasted votes and acts to transfer votes to achieve
this
- voters rank their preferences in numerical order – ordinal voting
- multi member constituencies usually contain 5-9 elected representatives
- voters can choose and rank candidates from the same party
- to gain election a candidate has to reach a quota of votes, this is calculated after
all the votes has been cast: Droop quota
- redistribution occurs as those with excess first preferences over the quota are elected
and their second choice is allocated. Then the lowest candidate is also removed
redistributing their second preference
2) What is meant by the term ‘party system’?
-- party system examines political parties in the political structure and attempts to
place them into various categories or types
-- the party system attempts to define the relationships within the political structure
as to how parties function and operate and importantly how close they are to
achieving governing status/power
-- a two party system is where only two of the parties out of many contest the
election and have any chance of gaining governmental power. The government will
constantly change between these two parties
-- a two and a half party system is where there are two major parties who can have a
significant take in government plus a minor third party – this is similar to the current
UK system
-- multi party system is where there are many parties who genuinely contest the
elections which will usually result in coalition as the popularity of parties is more
evenly spread not leaving a majority
3) Describe three different elections regularly held in the UK
elections occur in the UK across quite a wide spectrum and are a key component of
the UK system of representative democracy.
- General elections occur every 5 years and serve to provide members of Parliament
to all geographical locations in the UK. They also serve to determine the government
of the UK and are seen as the most important elections in the UK – reflected by the
turnout
- local elections provide representation at a lower level and elect councillors who
administer certain services in the locality eg Green council elected in Brighton and
Hove
- Elections to the devolved assemblies provide representatives for regional
government in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales
