Assess the Criticisms of the Various Electoral Systems Used In the UK

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Assess the Criticisms of the Various Electoral Systems Used In the UK

There are a number of criticisms that can be placed against the various electoral systems that are used in the UK. The criticisms themselves vary with the electoral system against which they are alleged.

One of the systems in question is first past the post. Ftpt is used in general elections. Specific criticisms of this system are that the election results do not necessarily reflect the views of the electorate as a whole. This is because the number of seats does not reflect the number of votes cast for them. There have been instances where the winning party has fewer national votes than that of the opposition. One example of this having occurred is in February 1974 in which Labour won with fewer votes overall but more than their opponents. No recent Government has had 50% or more of the votes cast. Those who criticise ftpt claim that the effect of the system is to over represent the winning party. This was shown in 1983 when the conservatives, with 42.4% of the votes, had 61% of the MPs elected in parliament. In 1997, Labour gained 43.2% of the votes which was considered a landslide victory and gave them 63.6% of seats in parliament. Critics also say that the system is very harsh on small parties, under representing them within parliament. An example of this was in May 2005 when the Liberal Democrats improved their overall position in the votes but this was not reflected in their representation within parliament. If the outcome had been completely proportional, the Liberal Democrats would have achieved 142 seats. Other small parties like the BNP and UKIP failed to win any at all. The under-representation of minority groups is also abundant with the ftpt system. This is because in multi-member constituencies, parties will be happier to put forward candidates of all backgrounds and races but within single member constituencies, parties with be more likely to play it safe and therefore the House of Commons is predominantly white, male and middle class.

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However, there are of course arguments for the use of ftpt. These are that fptp provides a very easy system for the public to use and provides clear lines of accountability. It allows the winning party to claim the mandate and makes it much more likely that a stable government will be elected with one party in power (although this has not happened in the recent election).

Another system that is used in the UK is the closed party list system which is used to elect MEPs. This is because the cpl system can lead to the existence of many ...

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3 stars - In terms of the question asked the essay addresses a thorough range of voting systems, and is logical in describing the relative strengths and weaknesses of each system. Relevant examples are largely applied effectively, though not always consistently, throughout the essay. Where this piece could be improved would be through greater explanation of the workings of each system, and why the function as they do - this would demonstrate a deeper understanding of the topic. Secondly the essay would benefit from increased analysis and evaluation - the strengths and weaknesses were listed as points rather than being compared and weighed up - there was little direct comparison of the different systems and there was no final conclusion that addressed the overall question directly.