Edexcel A Level Politics Electoral Systems Questions with Correct Answers 2025

Edexcel A Level Politics Electoral Systems
Questions with Correct Answers 2025
FirstvPastvthevPostv(FPTP)v-vcorrectvanswer--vAnvelectoralvsystem,vsometimesvknownvasvavpluralityvsystem

-vcandidatevwithvthevlargestvnumbervofvvotesvisvelected

-vVictoryvisvachievedvbyvhavingvatvleastvonevmorevvotevthanvothervcontenders



CriteriavforvVotingvSystemsv-vcorrectvanswer--vAvfairvresultvthatvgivingvvotesvequalvvaluev

-vAvchoicevofvcandidates

-vLinkvbetweenvrepresentativesvandvthevconstituencyv

-vStrongvgovernmentvthatvcanvpassvlawsv

-vGovernmentvcanvbevheldvtovaccountvbyvthevelectorate



AdvantagesvofvFPTPv-vcorrectvanswer--
vQuickvandvsimplev(easyvtovusevandvquickvresult)vMayv2010velectionvexceptionvduevtovcoalitionv(tookv5vdays

)v

-
vProvidesvavstrongvandvstablevgovernmentv(twovpartyvsystem)v(usuallyvgivesvclearvmajorityvtovavpartyvwhen

vthenvhasvavmandate,vunlikelyvtovleadvtovcoalitions)



-
vExclusionvofvextremistsv(duevtovrestrictingvsmallervpartiesvitvprohibitsvextremevpartiesv(racists,vxenophobic

)vtovgainvavfoothold.

-
vPromotesvavstrongvlinkvbetweenvMPsvandvconstituenciesv(MPsvcanvcommunicatevwithvconstituentsvandvh

oldvsurgeriesvtovmakevthemselvesvavailablevtovthosevseekingvhelpvandvadvice.



DisadvantagesvofvFPTPv-vcorrectvanswer--
vMPsvandvgovernmentvdon'tvneedvmajorityv(e.g.v2015velectionvBelfastvSouthvAlasdairvMcDonnellvpolledv14

.7%vofvthevelectorate)

-vConservativesv(DavidvCameron)vhousevmajorityvwithv36.9%vofvpopularvvotev

-vUKIPvgotv12.7%vbutv1vseat

-
vLackvofvproportionalityv(FPTPvdoesn'tvtranslatevthevnumbervofvvotesvintovseatsvforveachvpartyvwithvanyvrea

lvaccuracy)v2015vUKIPvwonv3.9vmillionvvotesvandv1vseatv

, -vLimitedvvotervchoicev(eachvpartyvonlyvputsvforwardvonevcandidate)v-vmayvleadvtovtacticalvvotingv

-vSafevseatsvleadsvtovunequalvvotes



MarginalvSeatsv-vcorrectvanswer--vSeatsvheldvbyvavsmallvmajority

-vSmallvswingvtovanvoppositionvcandidatevcanvcausevthevseatvtovchangevhands

-vE.g.vWatford



SafevSeatsv-vcorrectvanswer--vConstituenciesvinvwhichvthevsittingvMPvhasvavsecurevmajority

-vE.g.vNewcastlevNorth



ElectoralvDesertsv-vcorrectvanswer--vAreasvofvthevcountryvwherevavpartyvcannotvwinvseats

-vE.g.vSouth-EastvEnglandvisvavdesertvforvLabour



AdditionalvMembervSystemv(AMS)v-vcorrectvanswer--vAvhybridvelectoralvsystem

-vThevvotervmakesvtwovchoicesv

-vFirst,vthevvotervselectsvavrepresentativevbyvFPTP

-vAvsecondvvotevisvmadevforvavpartyv

-vAdditionalvmembersvwouldvbevelectedvbyvthesevvotes

-vAdditionalvmembersvdon'tvhavevavconstituency



SinglevTransferablevVotev(STV)v-vcorrectvanswer--
vAnvelectoralvsystemvwherevpreferencesvarevrankedvnumerically



-vInvordervtovwinvavseat,vavcandidatevmustvobtainvavquotav(numbervofvvotes)

-
vAftervthevvotesvarevcast,vifvavcandidatevmeetsvthevquota,vtheirvexcessvvotesvarevtransferredvtovothervcandid

atesvbasedvonvsecondvpreference

-
vThevcandidatevwithvthevleastvnumbervofvvotesvisveliminatedvandvvotesvredistributedvbasedvonvnextvprefere

nce

-vRepeatedvuntilvallvseatsvarevfilled